Intergovernmental negotiations on The Reform of the Security Council - Informal Plenary
Today marks a new turn on our long and winding road towards a much-needed Security Council reform.
Over the past fifteen years member states have, through an open and democratic process, been involved in a wide-ranging, exhaustive debate over the thorny issue of Security Council enlargement. But as we now move on to the negotiation phase, we should remind ourselves of the wise words of Clement Attlee: democracy means government by discussion, but it is only effective if you can at some stage stop people talking.
It is now more than five years since the Secretary General of the United Nations told the General Assembly that if the membership wanted the Security Council´s decisions to command greater respect, particularly in the developing world, it needed to address the issue of composition with greater urgency. This, as the saying goes, is where push now comes to shove. Over the coming days and weeks, we need to put our shoulders to the wheel; do what is necessary to shore up to legitimacy of the Security Council and make sure that its decisions carry the weight they deserve.
For this to happen, we must engage in a constructive dialogue and move beyond the divisive dynamics that have frequently trammeled our progress in the past. More than simply restating our positions, we need to take a step back and consider how we can best serve the interests of the membership and organization as a whole.
My Delegation appreciates the latest effort undertaken by the President to move ahead with a work plan. We would agree that when everything is said and done we cannot sidestep the applicable Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly. Even so, voting on an issue of such vital concern to many should only be regarded as an option of last resort. By making sure that the outcome of our deliberations commands the widest possible support, we also render any eventual reform measures more legitimate - a most important aspect of the task at hand.