SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM SHOULD REDRESS LONG-STANDING IMBALANCE IN GEOGRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION, GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS TOLD
Press Release
GA/9373/
SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM SHOULD REDRESS LONG-STANDING IMBALANCE IN GEOGRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION, GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS TOLD
19971209 ADDENDUMOn page 13 of Press Release GA/9373 of 4 December, the following summary of the statement of the representatives of Slovenia (preceding the summary of the statement by the representative of San Marino) was inadvertently omitted:
DANILO TURK (Slovenia) said what was needed was a package of reforms sufficiently developed to win ratification by two thirds of the United Nations membership, including the five permanent members of the Security Council. As a result of support within the Working Group for proposals to expand the number of permanent members of the Security Council, various suggestions had been made regarding the method of selection and the precise status of new permanent members. Delegations supporting the expansion wished that the new permanent members be bought in all the five regional groups, so as to improve regional representation and balance in that category of Security Council members.
Should a general agreement be reached on the expansion of that category of members, his delegation strongly supported the principle of non- discrimination. Slovenia believed the status of new permanent members should be comparable with that of the present permanent members. The introduction, either directly or indirectly, of semi-permanent status would not contribute to the advancement of Security Council reform.
On proposals for the curtailment of the veto, he said it had become increasingly clear in the last year that substantive progress was needed in that domain in order to develop a sufficiently comprehensive and ratifiable package. The veto issue should be given a special priority in the forthcoming discussions of the Working Group.
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