Csaba Kőrösi, President of the 77th session of the General Assembly
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Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council
(As delivered)
When the General Assembly met last November, I highlighted the changed dynamic around the issue of Security Council reform.
I pointed out the complex crises that have placed our multilateral system under pressure.
I recalled that growing numbers of you had demanded an urgent focus on this question.
I asked how you would ensure that the process advanced “in an open, inclusive and transparent manner”.
And I asked whether you were ready to seek practical solutions.
As we meet today, it is clear that Member States have understood the call of our day and instilled new life in the intergovernmental negotiations.
After so many years, we have seen positive momentum in this session.
Measurable progress has been achieved.
Progress which also helped to enhance the transparency, inclusivity and institutional memory of this important process.
The Co-Chairs have done an impressive job.
I express my deep gratitude to them, Amb. Tareq Albanai of Kuwait and Amb. Alexander Marschik of Austria, and their teams, for their unwavering focus on success.
My thanks as well to all Member States for your active and constructive engagement.
For the first time in the history of these negotiations, the first segments of the IGN meetings are now webcast.
Moreover, a dedicated website on Security Council reform has been established as a repository for the IGN process.
Let me also commend the other two innovative ideas introduced by the Co-Chairs to advance the discussions this session:
A recommendation to convene annual meetings between the Chair of the Council’s Informal Working Group on Documentation and the IGN Co-Chairs; and
An open-house discussion on Security Council reform – as we call it the “Taxel Talks” – with representatives from think tanks.
Dear Friends, are these decisive breakthroughs? No, they aren’t.
But they are practical steps in the right direction, and quite useful ones.
And, as the Greek orator Demosthenes once said: “Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.”
It is my sincere hope that you will carry these good experiences into the 78th session and continue to build confidence in the IGN process.
Ultimately, the intergovernmental negotiations are driven by Member States.
It is therefore up to you to show political will for the reform you want to see.
True political commitments are key to rebuilding trust and reviving the spirit of cooperation in the UN and beyond.
The eight billion people outside these walls do not see the UN as a conglomerate of separate bodies.
They see the UN as one.
Amid these unprecedented crises, their expectation for us to deliver is at its highest.
Let us work in good faith to meet that expectation.
We do not have the luxury to spend another 17 years on this issue.
I thank you.
