Annex XXII

Proposals on decision-making in the Security Council and the veto right, submitted by Germany, dated 22 April 1998: voting rights of the new permanent members

Germany proposes that reform of the Security Council take into consideration the following elements:

- All members of the Security Council should make every effort to seek consensus in the Council decision-making process;

- Permanent members of the Security Council should make a statement, either individually or collectively, that the veto will be exercised in a manner consistent with their responsibilities under the Charter, that they will generally be guided by the annex to resolution 267 (III) of 14 April 1949 regarding which matters should be deemed procedural and that, in the event of any veto of a draft resolution of the Security Council, they should accompany that decision with a formal explanation of such action;

- A high-level working group shall consider the extent to which the veto right is extended to new permanent members;

- During an interim period, the new permanent members will not individually exercise the veto right;

- During that period, the concurring vote of at least four out of five new permanent members will be required to arrive at a Security Council decision on matters which are not procedural and are taken under Chapter VII of the Charter.