Remarks by H.E. Mr. Dennis Francis, President of the General Assembly

at the plenary meeting on the Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council

and other matters related to the Security Council

 

Video link: https://youtu.be/q-0arv8TqSg

 

[As Delivered]

 

16 November 2023

 

 

Excellencies,

Distinguished Delegates,

 

As you are all aware, this General Assembly added the question of equitable representation in the Security Council to its agenda way back in 1979.

 

Since then, not much has changed – in re-adapting the institution to better reflect current realities.

 

It is therefore not at all surprising that over the past years, there has been steady growth in the calls for the long overdue reform; such calls, of late, reaching something of a crescendo.

 

In recent weeks, these calls have been forcefully articulated by the numerous groups and individual Member States that I have met, advocating for meaningful progress – despite the variable positions which we all know.

 

Never before has this issue been more pressing, both contextually and practically.

 

Excellencies,

 

While we ponder the way forward, let us also consider the task before us.

 

Violence and war continue to spread in regions across the world, while the United Nations seems paralyzed due largely to the divisions in the Security Council.

 

While some of today’s challenges could not have been envisioned eight decades ago, those that we did foresee are blazing onto the geopolitical landscape – with new and deeply worrying ferocity.

 

Amid this sea-change, the Council is dangerously falling short of its mandate as the primary custodian for the maintenance of international peace and security.

 

Absent structural reform, its performance and legitimacy will inevitably continue to suffer – and so too, the credibility and relevance of the UN itself. Without public allegiance and support, the institutional strength of the United Nations would be further weakened leading inevitably to its termination.

 

May I caution this august house that stasis can be as formidable a foe as chaos.

 

We cannot usefully perpetuate positions that – while familiar – fail to bring us closer together.

 

I approach the question of Council reform also within the context of wider UN reform – and a steadfast determination to help overcome divisions.

 

Excellencies,

 

Early in the session, I re-appointed co-chairs to continue the important intergovernmental negotiation process on this issue.

 

I would like to thank His Excellency Alexander Marschik, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Austria and His Excellency Tareq Albanai, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the State of Kuwait, for their acquiescence in bearing this weighty responsibility.

 

I trust that Member States will continue to extend their full support as the co-chairs steer these critical deliberations, and work to build on the landmark progress made last session.

 

The agreement to webcast inter-governmental negotiation meetings and to create a repository for decisions and proposals on a dedicated UN website were indeed meaningful steps in the right direction. They are worthy of applause.

 

Given the stakes, we will however, need fresh, innovative thinking on reform pathways.

 

One of the ways we can repair trust – firstly among ourselves, in this cocoon, and crucially, with our 8 billion constituents who live beyond it – is to infuse our deliberations with the spirit of solidarity and conciliation needed to meet this moment and thereby, to nullify the ever-present disposition towards dissention and discord.

 

Certainly, one occasion not to be missed is the Summit of the Future in September 2024.

 

In preparation for that ground-breaking event, we must work purposively to ensure that world leaders are provided with the opportunity to advance key debates and to bring multilateral institutions and frameworks into alignment  with the dictates and circumstances of today’s world.

 

I therefore urge Member States to grasp this opportunity to break through ingrained positions, and to promote Security Council reform through practical steps that support effectiveness and moreover, represent the full diversity of geographies.

 

Excellencies, Dear Colleagues,

 

At the end of the day, the fate of Security Council reform is in your hands.

 

The General Assembly is the only UN body with a mandate to seek an appropriate and worthy response to this question that has staunchly defied our efforts for decades.

 

With the eyes of the world fixated upon us even more constantly now, a posture of procrastination will only feed perceptions that our structures are antiquated and irrelevant and therefore, structurally incapable of delivering outcomes that protect and/or bolster international peace and security.

 

In the final analysis, the decision is yours – Member States – to determine how to use these inter-governmental negotiations to make real progress, if in fact, there is a real appetite for substantive progress.

 

I reassure you that you can count on me as your President to provide full support to the co-chairs – and to offer an open door to all of you to help facilitate dialogue in an impartial, inclusive and trust – worthy manner.

 

Peace demands commitment of us all.

 

Imbibed with the requisite will, I am confident that together we can move the dial on our efforts to create a Security Council that is more representative of and better equipped to effectively serve the modern age.

 

I thank you.