UNGA adopts decision to instill new life in debate on Security Council reform

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) — The UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted an oral decision on Tuesday, with the aim of “instilling new life” into the discussions on Security Council reform.
By the decision, the assembly reaffirmed its central role concerning the question of equitable representation and increased Security Council membership, as delegates underscored that the council’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 also decided to immediately continue intergovernmental negotiations on the matter in the assembly’s informal plenary.
The UNGA decided, if member states agree, to convene the Open-Ended Working Group on the Question of Equitable Representation and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council during its upcoming 79th session, and to include the item in the agenda of the 79th session.
The representative of Sierra Leone, speaking for the African Group, said 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.
He said prioritizing Africa in Security 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.”
The delegate of Sri Lanka stressed the need to balance representation across all regions and ensure that various interests are included on the council.
Speaking on behalf of the Arab Group, Bahrain’s delegate said the adoption of the oral decision would enable member states to continue their joint action to find common ground and bring forth genuine reform of the Security Council, and called for the inclusion of a permanent Arab seat on the council and the region’s equitable representation among the non-permanent members.
“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. ■