By Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti
Mr. Chairman,
We welcome your introductory remarks and hope that reform can happen long before we leave this building to move back into the renovated conference rooms.
The fifth round of intergovernmental negotiations has started with a new impetus. For the very first time, we have a text as a basis for the negotiations. This is a new and important development, which also brings hope of a concrete outcome for our efforts without further delay.
My delegation commends the work done by you and your team. Although we would have preferred a much more concise negotiating text, we understand the need for being as inclusive as possible at this stage and your paper has achieved that. In this sense, it is a fair basis for the continuation of our work.
We welcome your decision to structure the text according to the five key issues identified by the General Assembly in resolution 62/557. We also note with appreciation your suggestion that Member States undertake drafting exercises and refine the text, in order to merge language and reduce the obvious overlaps in the paper.
Mr. Chairman,
As we swiftly move into a negotiation mode, I wish to take this opportunity to highlight some major commonalities that can be inferred from the positions and proposals submitted by Member States. In doing so, I take into account not only the number of proposals actually listed in your paper, Mr. Chairman, but also the number of countries that support each one of them.
On categories of membership, this is perhaps the area where commonalities seem most promising. The paper rightfully shows that the overwhelming majority of the proposals has called for an expansion in the two categories of permanent and non-permanent members, with developing and developed countries adequately represented in both.
On the question of the veto, a significant number of proposals raised the issue of eliminating it outright or, if this is deemed not possible, limiting or curtailing its use by current permanent members. Other proposals ask for the extension of the veto, so long as it exists, to new permanent members.
We acknowledge the view that, as a matter of principle, all permanent members should have the same responsibilities and obligations, thus reflecting a balanced and equitable representation on the Security Council. My delegation has always approached this question in a constructive way. Member States need to assess the convenience of making final decisions now or consider making them in the framework of a future review of the situation created by the reform.
On regional representation, the most striking commonality among the proposals is the need to address both the non-representation and under-representation of some regions in the two categories of membership, a situation that is notoriously biased against developing countries.
On the size of an enlarged Security Council and working methods, it seems that most delegations support a Council expanded to the mid-twenties. The text helped to make even more apparent the fact that, in practice, the majority of Member States is in favor of a Council with 25 or 26 members. Regarding working methods, there is a widespread recognition that improving the Council's transparency, accountability and efficiency must be part of a truly comprehensive reform. Support for reform in this case is overwhelming.
Finally, on the relationship between the Security Council and the General Assembly, there is here another evident majority, pointing out to a proper balance and stronger cooperation between the two organs, in conformity with their respective powers as defined in the UN Charter.
Mr. Chairman,
This is a preliminary assessment of the text, but the contours of a successful reform seem to be clearly delineated.
We hope our exchanges during this fifth round, under your skillful and impartial guidance, will help us move forward in that direction.
Thank you.
