Thank you Mr. President,
Let me first of all begin by expressing our profound appreciation to Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri, Permanent Representative of India and the current President of the Security Council, for presenting the Report of the Security Council under this agenda item.
I would also like to welcome the re-appointment of Ambassador Zahir Tanin, Permanent Representative of Afghanistan as the Chair of Intergovernmental Negotiations. Under his chairmanship, we look forward to a very substantive discussion on the issue of comprehensive reforms of the Security Council during the current session of the General Assembly.
Mr. President,
The Maldives and other Member States of the United Nations General Assembly have on numerous occasions expressed their desires over the past decades, to see wide-ranging reforms of the Security Council and to better expedite the effectiveness of this organization. Such reforms have now become an integral part of our institution, in addressing the challenges and difficult tasks the international community now faces today. As we have heard during the debate, there clearly exists a necessity to update its configuration and working methods to attain better representation and greater transparency.
In this regard, comprehensive reforms of the Security Council lies at the heart of our efforts to revamp an international structure that came into being more than sixty-seven years ago.
For the United Nations to progress in this manner, as an effective and credible institution before the eyes of the world, the Security Council must be expanded and restructured to reflect the geopolitical realities of today. The Maldives is of the view that the inclusion of both India and Japan, in any future composition of the Security Council, remains an important and fundamental pre-requisite for future reform, and the effective functioning of the Security Council in the 21st Century.
Mr President,
We welcome your statement, on the question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council, and your commitment to find a just and agreeable methodology to move things forward.
My delegation commends the recent positive efforts achieved during the intergovernmental negotiations on the matter and stress on the need to maintain its momentum in addressing the specific areas of reforms. The thematic rounds of discussions, which took place during last session dedicated to Member States’ initiatives, were extremely helpful. The frank and open discussions provided an opportunity for Member States to assess the different viewpoints being presented, and identify the points of convergence and divergence on the five key areas of reforms.
While the composition of the Security Council remains a key area of priority, we believe that the working methods of the Council must also be improved, with a view to restore its credibility, authority and legitimacy within the UN system. In this regard, we applaud the S-5 initiative made at the beginning of this year, which proposed a useful guide in improving the working methods of the Council
We believe that the functioning of the new Council and its expanded membership, should come from both developing and developed countries, and should include the participation of countries reflective of the United Nations’ diverse membership. However, geographic representation in its own should not be a deciding factor in determining Permanent membership on the Council; other considerations such as a country’s ability to contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security, and its commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights and democracy should be taken on-board.
Mr President,
The Maldives firmly believes that this august Assembly must be fully committed to implement the provisions of Decision 62/557 and subsequent General Assembly decisions in letter and spirit in carrying out comprehensive and wide-ranging reforms of the United Nations Security Council. We fully support the stand taken by the President of the General Assembly to advance the reform process through a constructive and consultative process at the informal plenary.
Furthermore, we call for the widest possible political acceptance by Member States, in proceeding with the negotiations. It is our view, that failure to reach consensus should not prevent action on these important reforms.
Mr. President,
Before I conclude, I would like to express my hope that consensus can be achieved in reaching a solution to the general reform and composition of the Security Council. We must be united in our resolve, and pragmatic in our approach to break the impasse, which has stagnated the United Nations reforms for the past 20 years. Only by working together would we be able to realise a Security Council that is representative, efficient and able to deal with the complex challenges of the world we live in.
I thank you Mr President!
