Excellencies,

Distinguished Delegates,

Thank you for joining today’s first meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council reform.

I am heartened to see that the membership’s commitment to the IGN process remains robust.

Let me thank Her Excellency, Ambassador Alya Ahmed Saif Al-Thani, Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar, and His Excellency, Ambassador Martin Bille Hermann, Permanent Representative of Denmark, for accepting the important responsibility of chairing this process. 

I am also grateful to Member States for their unqualified support for the appointed Co-Chairs.

The commitment of your Heads of State and Government to, and I quote: “instill new life in the discussions on the reform of the Security Council”, gives us pause to reflect on our great responsibility to ensure a more inclusive future.

Excellencies,

One of my priorities, in this Presidency of Hope, is “Revitalizing the United Nations.”

This reflects our collective aspiration to make our organization efficient, effective, and accountable. It also includes supporting efforts to reform the Security Council.

This is a daunting task, as we are all well aware, yet, as I stated only weeks ago, when I presented my priorities for the resumed part of the seventy-sixth session of the General Assembly:

“Throughout all our efforts, there’s one constant that needs to be present: HOPE.”

Colleagues, I remain hopeful that with your constructive engagement, we will be able to move the IGN process forward this session.

One thing is clear: the success of this process depends on you, on the Member States.

Let us therefore find common ground, achieve convergence, and match our vision with bold action to truly reform the main body responsible for maintaining international peace and security.

Let us prove the naysayers wrong.

Excellencies,

Look at how far we have come in building a world based on international cooperation and multilateral diplomacy.

Yet, we are reminded today of the growing number of global risks: the existential threat of climate change, social inequities, macroeconomic fragilities, ideological polarization, geopolitical tensions – all exacerbated by the current pandemic.

These complex challenges remind us that we, as United Nations, the pinnacle of multilateralism, must put humanity and human dignity at the front and center of what we do.

They also remind us that our United Nations must be adaptable and ever-changing. In an interconnected world of evolving complexities, we cannot be static. We ourselves must be able to evolve.

The Security Council needs to represent today’s world; it needs to be more representative and more inclusive, reflecting the realities of 21st century international diplomacy.

This is not only important for Member States and the issues of peace and security but is indicative of our efforts to revitalize the United Nations and to maintain the relevance of this great institution.

Excellencies,

On the IGN process, our Co-Chairs committed “to ensure its transparency, inclusivity and member-driven nature.”

I encourage all delegations to avail of the opportunity that this session provides to engage in a constructive, meaningful and transparent manner.

You have my full support in achieving an open, impartial, and objective process.

I look forward to listening to you, to hearing your views on the process and its way forward.

And I emphasize once again: the task before us will be challenging but it is far from impossible.

I thank you.