ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT CALLS ON WORKING GROUP ON SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM TO CONCLUDE ITS WORK
Press Release
GA/9222
ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT CALLS ON WORKING GROUP ON SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM TO CONCLUDE ITS WORK
19970310 Following are the opening remarks of the President of the General Assembly, Razali Ismail (Malaysia), to the first substantive session of 1997 of the open-ended working group of the Assembly on the question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and other matters related to the Security Council, held at Headquarters this afternoon:As all of you distinguished delegates know, this is the working group with the longest history of all the high-level working groups chaired by the President of the General Assembly. It was established on 3 December 1993 by resolution 48/26. Several permanent representatives who helped to conceive and elaborate further the mandate of this working group are no longer here at the United Nations. Others are still here. In this connection, I would like to pay special tribute to Ambassador Samuel Insanally of Guyana, a distinguished diplomat and the first Chairman of the working group during his Presidency of the forty-eighth session of the General Assembly, whose contribution to the Group has been valuable since its inception.
All of us have closely followed and contributed to the intensive deliberations of this working group. We have worked extremely hard for three years, and have now entered the fourth year of work. During this time, the Security Council itself has begun to change its working methods in an ad hoc manner. This is due in part to the deliberations of this group, but much remains to be done, and the Council cannot do it alone.
Let me provide you with some facts. In 1994, the group held 22 meetings and produced a report nine paragraphs in length, with not much substance beyond the recognition that there existed a convergence of views that the membership of the Security Council should be expanded. In 1995 we had even more meetings, a total of 32, a longer report and a separate document A/49/965, which included all the major documents produced during our deliberations. Last year, we worked even more intensively. The group held 39 formal meetings and 17 informal consultations, making it a total of 56 meetings. The report was fairly substantive -- 16 pages long with an addendum of 79 pages -- thanks to the hard work of the co-Vice-Chairs, Ambassador Fredrik Wilhelm Breitenstein of Finland and Ambassador Asda Jayanama of Thailand.
- 2 - Press Release GA/9222 10 March 1997
Last year the group worked hard to examine, albeit in varying degrees, all major issues before the working group including composition and size of the Security Council; decision-making in the Council including the veto; working methods and transparency of the Council; and other matters, including amendments to the United Nations Charter and periodic review. Since then, the co-Vice-Chairs have held a marathon series of consultations with approximately 165 Member States. Ambassador Breitenstein and Ambassador Jayanama deserve enormous congratulations for their conscientious, thorough and diligent efforts.
In light of all the hard work we have already put into this process, it is my conviction that we should begin another phase in our deliberations, with the aim of reaching a conclusion to our work. All the necessary elements have been thoroughly discussed and remain on the table. The time has therefore arrived for members to look at the full picture. As Chairman of the group, it is my duty to provide a complete picture for all Member States to examine. No one, no country or group can deny the right of Member States to see the complete picture. Member States can still maintain their position but the full membership must be allowed to see and consider the complete picture, and be in a position to pronounce on what is offered. The full picture does not mean a "quick fix". Neither does it discriminate, nor meet a set of proposals that favour one group. I will not be party to any proposal that does not benefit an overwhelming, broad-based and representative majority of Members, especially the small developing countries.
Let me assure you all that my approach to the reform of the United Nations is predicated on three basic principles: to rectify long-standing imbalances; to simplify the Organization's structure and working methods; and to clarify roles and relationships. In relation to this working group, we are looking at rectifying long-standing imbalances in the composition and decision-making process of the Security Council which will serve to enhance its credibility, legitimacy and authority in a rapidly changing and increasingly demanding world.
Today we start the first session of two weeks of further intensive work. After the session we have a break of five weeks followed by a second two-week session. Finally, a break of two weeks, and a third session of two weeks.
In order to begin our work effectively today, and to cut down on general statements which we have heard many times before, the co-Vice-Chairs, Ambassador Breitenstein and Ambassador Jayanama conducted consultations with the membership in January, February and March specifically to learn the views of the so-called silent majority of the membership, as well as of all others. (He then invited Ambassador Jayanama to brief the working group on the findings of these consultations.)
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