OPINION ON SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM OFFERED BY THIRTY-NINE MORE MEMBER STATES AS ASSEMBLY DEBATE CONTINUES
Press Release
GA/9825/
OPINION ON SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM OFFERED BY THIRTY-NINE MORE MEMBER STATES AS ASSEMBLY DEBATE CONTINUES
20001117ADDENDUM
On page 14 of Press Release GA/9825 of 16 November, the following summary of the statement of the representative of Libya (who spoke after the representative of the Czech Republic) was inadvertently omitted:
GUMA AMER (Libya) said the United Nations would not be complete without an overhaul of the Council. The desired progress had not been achieved, but he hoped the working group could overcome present difficulties and could fulfil its mandate: the restructuring of the Council to make it more representative, democratic and transparent.
He said increase in membership should be exclusive to non-permanent members. There was no need for more permanent members, but if the permanent group had to be increased, then it should be done in a non-biased fashion. He said Libya supported an increase in membership to 26 seats, and took the position that Africa should get two permanent seats on a rotational basis. The comprehensive reform process should be part of an overall reform ensuring accountability to the Assembly where all Member States were on equal footing.
Despite implementation by the Council of some proposals, he went on, the reform process was still weak because it had not become institutionalized. He was confident that frequent cooperation between the Council and the Assembly would open new vistas. That also applied to the International Court of Justice. The Council should not overstep its mandate in that regard.
The question of veto, he said, was crucial. It was a major part on the reform exercise. Libya opposed the veto privilege, which had been exploited to serve narrow interests. It should be eliminated, or at least restricted. Reform efforts, he continued, should not be subject to any time-frame. Any restructuring which involved amendment of the Charter should have the approval of two thirds of the Member States.
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