Opening remarks by
H.E. MR. HARRI HOLKERI
President of the General Assembly
At the Fifth Meeting of theOpen-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
15 March
2001
The fifth meeting of 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 is called to order.
I should like to thank delegations for their contributions to our discussions
on Cluster I issues Monday and Tuesday. As many remarked, there is a willingness
by the membership to move forward on this issue of reform in all its aspects.
I am sure that this will bode well for our discussions now on Cluster II issues.
As I had stated at the outset of our deliberations, we intended to take up Cluster
I and Cluster II issues in tandem. To this end, I should now like to draw your
attention to Conference Room Paper 3 (CRP.3) which has been available at the
document's booth since Tuesday.
However, before proceeding to Cluster II issues, I should like to point out
that we were unable to meet yesterday afternoon. Therefore, we shall meet again
this afternoon to continue to discuss Cluster II issues. In keeping with our
proposed programme, we shall also meet tomorrow morning to take up Cluster I
issues. In this connection, I should like to point out that CRP.2/Add.1 is now
available at the documents booth.
The CRP.3, concerning the working methods of the Security Council, was prepared
to facilitate discussions in the Working Group. As noted in its introduction,
this CRP is based on a conference room paper previously prepared by the Bureau
on the working methods of the Security Council and transparency of its work.
It had appeared as annex XII (twelve) in this Working Group's report to the
Assembly last year (A/54/47).
Delegations will note that paragraphs and subparagraphs, on which there was
provisional agreement last year, are indicated in bold text; paragraphs on which
provisional agreement has not yet been reached are also replicated in this document
as well as proposals for the deletion of some paragraphs.
The only departure from the text of Annex XII is the inclusion of information
in boxes to facilitate constructive discussion in the Working Group and to inform
delegations. To this end, the Bureau decided to add relevant excerpts from Security
Council and General Assembly resolutions as well as notes and statements of
Security Council Presidential statements, of which it was aware of. As I mentioned,
these are contained within boxes in the relevant sections of the text.
At this point should like ask if any delegation would like to make a general
observation before we go to specific comments and suggestions to CRP.3, paragraph
by paragraph.