General Assembly Adopts Oral Decision with Aim of ‘Instilling New Life’ in Debate on Security Council Reform, Equitable Representation, Increased Membership
The General Assembly today adopted an oral decision reaffirming its central role concerning the question of equitable representation and increased Security Council membership, as delegates underscored that the organ’s composition no longer reflects today’s political landscape.
With the aim of “instilling new life” into the discussions on Security Council reform, the Assembly further decided to immediately continue intergovernmental negotiations on the matter in the informal plenary of the General Assembly, and — if Member States so decide — 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 its seventy-ninth session. It also decided to include in the upcoming session’s agenda the item entitled “Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and other matters related to the Security Council”.
“It is our hope that we can muster the political will […] to transform this language so that it does not exist solely within the pages of yet another intergovernmental negotiated outcome document,” said the representative of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, speaking on behalf of the “L.69” Group. While the language is “not as ambitious” as hoped, she said the roll-over decision presents an opportunity to lay a transformational foundation for the next session of the intergovernmental negotiations framework. Calling for a substantive document and not a mere technical roll-over, she welcomed the structured dialogues — an innovative initiative introduced this session — and the language on the intergovernmental negotiations’ contribution to the Pact of the Future. This achievement cements States’ commitment to creating a more representative, transparent, effective, democratic and accountable Security Council, she stressed.
Nevertheless, she expressed concern about the slow pace of the process. The persisting absence of a consolidated text containing actionable language that facilitates defined progress remains “a crucial fault line”, she observed, adding that a consolidated text does not mean consensus. “It will still be subject to substantive negotiations.”
The representative of Sierra Leone, speaking for the African Group, stressed that — ahead of the Summit of the Future — Member States must demonstrate the necessary political will to reform the United Nations to ensure its pivotal role in global governance and establish a world order based on the principles of fairness and universalism. Prioritizing Africa in Council reform is key to creating a more inclusive, democratic, transparent, accountable, legitimate and efficient organ — “especially concerning the allocation of seats in both the permanent and non-permanent categories”. Underscoring the importance of collaboration to advancing progress made in support of the Common African Position, he stated: “We invite you all to join us in correcting the historical injustice inflicted upon the African continent and its people.”
Other representatives also underscored the need to advance the reform of the Council, whose legitimacy and effectiveness depended on its ability to reflect and meet the international community's pressing needs.
“We believe there must be inclusivity,” said the speaker for Sri Lanka, stressing the need to balance representation across all regions and ensure that various interests are included on the Council. All countries must have a fair opportunity to be heard, while accountability and transparency are essential, he said, adding that civil society and the broader public could also help enhance the Council’s effectiveness.
Singapore’s delegate said that his country’s position on Council reform is clear: “Expansion in both categories, no veto for new permanent members and that all members of the Council should reaffirm their commitment to the UN Charter and international law and commit not to use the veto if a party to a dispute.” Further, any model chosen must not reduce small States’ opportunity to be elected to the Council. While expressing disappointment that not all elements of his country’s position made it into the elements’ paper, he welcomed discussions on cross-regional seats and the need for increased representation of small and medium-sized States.
The representative of the Russian Federation, expressing support for the decision’s adoption, said that the time has come to commit to the intergovernmental negotiations and keep the document in its current form. That is the only way to maintain consensus, he added.
The General Assembly then adopted the oral decision by consensus.
Today’s adoption will enable Member States to continue their joint action to find “common ground” and bring forth genuine reform of the Council, said Bahrain’s delegate, speaking after the vote, on behalf of the Arab Group. This document illustrates the coming together of positions but also shows that more work must be done to fill in myriad gaps. He called for the inclusion of a permanent Arab seat on the Council and the region’s equitable representation among the non-permanent members.
The representative of Italy, speaking on behalf of the Uniting for Consensus Group, said this session saw significant progress, including a productive discussion on concrete models for Council reform. However, as a strong advocate for transparency in the process, he expressed regret over “the lengthy dragging out of the rollover process”. The intergovernmental negotiations could have been rolled over weeks ago if they had not been held hostage by one delegation, he pointed out, noting that such actions undermine the credibility of the process. To foster consensus through credible and effective Council reform, it is vital to increase the public trust in the organ and strengthen multilateralism, he observed.
The speaker for India, aligning herself with the L.69 Group and the Group of Four, spotlighted progress in the intergovernmental negotiations process, including the initiatives to create the digital repository and webcasting. However, she added, the text shared as the final input does not enjoy the widest possible acceptance among delegations or accurately reflect the sentiment of Member States. “There is a clear global sentiment [to expand] both categories of membership,” she said, noting that “urgent text-based negotiations are the need of the hour”.
The representative of Pakistan, aligning himself with the Uniting for Consensus Group, cited the intergovernmental negotiations process as “the most appropriate platform” to pursue Council reform. Nonetheless, he expressed regret that one delegation linked the oral decision to the negotiations of the language of the Pact for the Future, causing a delay in its adoption. He called for more active consultation with regional and subregional groups — including the African Union, Arab Group and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (IOC). Furthermore, he said, it is vital to ensure increased representation of small and medium-sized countries, including small island developing States, in the Council and “treat Africa as a special case” to redress the historical injustice.
Also stressing the need to prioritize and address injustice regarding the African continent, his counterpart from China said Council reform is a matter of great concern for all Member States, and the final submission of the related text reflects the greatest convergence of positions. Amid the current geopolitical situation, he said, “the reform process must contribute to enhancing the unity of Member States”.
The representative of Brazil, also speaking for Germany, India and Japan, said the latest intergovernmental-negotiations cycle showed significant support for models based on expanding the two membership categories. Further, its contribution to the Pact for the Future — “while falling short of what is needed, and thereby not reflecting the reality of our discussions” — still provides useful elements for moving the process forward, he said. Nevertheless, he underscored that the process “must deliver what it has been failing for many years — serious, consequential, member-driven negotiations”, adding: “The time for decisive action is now."