New York – November 12, 2014

Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

You will recall that one of the priorities I set for this session is advancing revitalization of the General Assembly and reform of the Security Council.

As you well know, the road toward reform of the Security Council has, thus far, been a long and winding journey.

At the 2005 World Summit, leaders expressed support for reform of the Council to – and I quote – “make it more broadly representative, efficient and transparent and thus to further enhance its effectiveness and the legitimacy and implementation of its decisions.” – end quote.

At the start of this year’s General Assembly session, more than one hundred leaders expressed concern at the lack of progress in the negotiations on Security Council reform, ten years since the World Summit.

We therefore need renewed commitment from all Member States to the reform agenda and the next phase of the intergovernmental negotiations. Above all, we must undertake this endeavour with a steadfast spirit of compromise.

I am optimistic that today’s debate will provide a clearer picture of the challenges we have to surmount and the opportunities that we must harness to advance the reform process. Although the task may seem daunting, together we can make progress on this critical undertaking.

Esteemed Colleagues,

Since the founding of this Organization nearly 70-years ago, the world has undergone profound change. The challenges we face have become more complex given the wide range of new and emerging threats to international peace and security. We therefore need to reform the Security Council, in particular, to make it more representative, effective and efficient.

Indeed our Organization should continue to adapt to the constructs and exigencies of our present day world, in order to be effective and relevant.

It is therefore in the best interests of all Member States to take the necessary steps to reform the Security Council to preserve its fundamental role in the maintenance of international peace and security for generations to come.

As reform discussions move forward, it is important to ensure they are not a mere repetition of previously-stated positions; a dynamic that has characterized the intergovernmental negotiation process in the past.

What is now required is a firm commitment to move the process to text-based negotiations on all the clusters.

The mandate for negotiations firmly belongs to you, the Member States. It is my hope that today’s debate serves as a useful foundation for future reform and galvanizes productive negotiations over the coming months.

I wish to thank Ambassador Zahir Tanin, Permanent Representative of Afghanistan, for spearheading the intergovernmental negotiations for the past years. As you are aware, I have appointed Ambassador Courtenay Rattray, Permanent Representative of Jamaica, as the new Chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiations and I call upon you all to support him in advancing this process.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We must collectively move the negotiation process forward as this effort is not only important for ensuring the effective functioning of the Security Council, but also for preserving its legitimacy.

I thank you for your kind attention.