General Assembly Plenary: On the Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and other matters related to the Security Council

3pm, 25 June 2019

Statement ofthe Co-Chairs

Madam President, Distinguished colleagues,

It is my pleasure to speak today on behalf of the Co-Chairs of the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council Reform for this ly^

Session.

I would be remiss ifI did not begin with thanking you Madam President for the trust and confidence you placed in Ambassador Nusseibeh and me to steer the ION this session. You set both us, and the broader membership, a target to "build on the progress made so far in a spirit of goodwill and compromise, with political will, courage and resolve, as well as flexibility and constructiveness". I hope we have been able to live up to your ambitions.

As Co-Chairs, we feel that the outcome of this session, a substantive revision of the "elements of commonality and issues for further consideration" document, has gently nudged the needle for reform forward. We welcome its inclusion in the decision just adopted by consensus. It is certain however, that any successes this session can only be attributed to the work and engagement ofMember States and we thank you all again for the support extended to us.

Madam President,

Today we close a somewhat difficult session for the IGN, one that saw Member States divided both on process as well as on substance.

Some turbulence is certainly to be expected in an issue so protracted, complex and vital to the future of this organisation. However, a reform that enjoys the widest possible political acceptance will only be achieved through greater dialogue, exchanges and genuine political will from

Member States. We should not shy away from truly interactive discussions even when they become tough. While the IGN process certainly has inherent flaws, only increased engagement will create the necessary conditions to build convergence among all States.

On this note, 1would like to commend the effort made by many groups this session to reach out to each other outside ofour formal IGN sessions. These kinds ofinformal interactions and discussions will be vital to the continuing success ofthe IGN process. Madam President,

The document "revised elements of commonality and issues for further consideration" directly builds on the work of last session, as well as encapsulating the work of the 70th and 71st sessions. We saw this continuation as being a valuable step in and of itself. The simple fact that this year's IGN did not start from scratch should not be underestimated.

As you will recall, our first meeting in January presented us with polarized views on the potential conduct ofwork for the session.

However, Member States managed to forge consensus around taking the document from last year forward and using it as a basis ofour discussions this year. This is a clear demonstration ofpolitical will for continuity in the process.

We hope this document will be ofuse in future sessions.

We recognisethat this document is not perfect, or complete, for that matter. Indeed, we've clearly heard diverging views on how this document can be improved. We do believe however, that it represents good incremental progress. Progress resulting directly from our discussions and interactive dialogue on all key issues. Work that is ripe to be picked up again next year.

The document reflects several new areas ofconvergence in Member States views, particularly in the areas ofworking methods of the Council, and on the relationship between the General Assembly and the Security Council. This identification offurther areas on which we can all agree is positive, but also highlights that a greater focus now needs to be placed on building bridges in the remaining key issues ofreform.

We also saw existing diverging positions further clarified, an important step towards bringing positions closer together. Including on the question of cross-regional representation in the Council, and differing views on categories ofmembership.

And very importantly, within this document the African position is now incorporated in a more nuanced way than before - reflecting the increasing support expressed to Africa's aspirations among Member States.

As the IGNibpntmues, given the importance of the topic at hand Member States may wish also to consider in the coming years the desirability of establishing formalised continuity mechanisms and institutional memory for the IGN, to improve our work.

Madam President,

As you reminded us during the first meeting of the IGN this year, this is perhaps the most complex process undertaken by the GA. The strategic importance of the Council, which holds the primary responsibility for the maintenance of intemational peace and security, makes reform a vital, but also sensitive issue. And makes this process one which requires perseverance from Member States and a great amount ofbalancing from the

Chairs. It is clear however that the work of the IGN must continue irrespective of the difficulty ofthe task.

Day by day, our work becomes increasingly more important to ensure we have a UN that is fit for purpose with strong, credible and trusted institutions. We cannot afford todisengage from ourwork, even if itpersists to take much longer than what most of us would consider optimal or desirable.

Madam President, Excellencies,

As we wrap up our mandate as Co-Chairs of the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council reform, I would like to convey on behalf of Ambassador Nusseibeh and myself what a great privilege it has been to contribute, even in a small way to these efforts. We once again thank you for your stewardship and thank Member States for their trust and support.

Thank you all again.