Sixty-sixth General Assembly

Plenary

129^th Meeting (PM)

General Assembly Decides to Continue Intergovernmental Negotiations

 

on Security Council Reform at Sixty-Seventh Session

 

The General Assembly today reaffirmed its central role on the “question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and related matters”, amid growing demands to crystallize areas of convergence on an issue that has laid bare the difficulties of revitalizing the United Nations’ twentieth-century peace and security architecture.

In an oral decision read out by General Assembly President Nassir Abdulaziz al-Nasser (Qatar), the 193-member body also decided to immediately continue intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform in informal plenary during its sixty-seventh session, as mandated by decisions 62/557, 63/565, 64/568 and 65/554, building on progress made in the sixty-sixth session, as well as the positions of and proposals by Member States.

The Assembly welcomed the engagement and intensive efforts of the Assembly President — including in the selection of United Nations reform as a main area of focus for the sixty-sixth session.  It took note of proposals by the Chair of the intergovernmental negotiations, and noted with appreciation his concrete efforts, with a view to an early comprehensive reform of the Security Council.

By other terms, the Assembly decided to convene the Open-Ended Working Group on the question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and other matters related to the Security Council during the sixty-seventh session, if Member States so decided.  An item entitled “Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and related matters” would be included on the agenda of the sixty-seventh session.

By way of background, Mr. Al-Nasser recalled that the Assembly had held a debate on Security Council reform at its 51^st and 52^nd plenary meetings on 8 and 9 November 2011. Pursuant to decision 65/554 (12 September 2011), the Assembly continued negotiations in informal plenary meetings during the current session. In a letter dated 12 September 2012, he had circulated for consideration language for an oral decision on this important issue.

Concluding the meeting, Mr. Al-Nasser expressed his sincere thanks to Zahir Tanin (Afghanistan) for chairing the intergovernmental negotiations on his behalf in a manner that was impartial to positions, yet partial to progress.

The General Assembly will reconvene at a time and date to be announced.

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For information media • not an official record