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General Assembly Official Records Sixtieth Session United Nations A/60/PV.95 General Assembly Official Records Sixtieth session 95th plenary meeting Thursday, 20 July 2006, 3 p.m. New York President: Mr. Eliasson ..................................... (Sweden) The meeting was called to order at 3.05 p.m. The present composition of the Security Council is a reflection of a world that no longer exists. The In the absence of the President, Mr. Diarra (Mali), Council must continue to play a decisive role in the Vice-President, took the Chair. promotion of peace, security, human rights and democracy. But if it is to do so more effectively, Agenda items 117 and 120 (continued) broader representation is needed. Denmark supports expanding the Council by increasing the number of Question of equitable representation on and increase permanent members and non-permanent seats and by in the membership of the Security Council and including developing and developed countries as related matters permanent members. By doing so, we would make the voices representing the broader membership much Follow-up to the outcome of the Millennium Summit stronger and thereby enhance the legitimacy, credibility and effectiveness of Security Council decisions — Ms. Løj (Denmark): I am grateful for the effectiveness in the sense that the collective pressure to convening of this meeting of the General Assembly and adhere to Council decisions would increase. would like to express my delegation’s gratitude to the But reform of the Security Council goes far President of the Assembly for his determined effort to beyond the question of the expansion of the bring forward the United Nations reform agenda. The membership. It is also very much a matter of Assembly has already taken action in a significant addressing the issue of working methods. The need for number of areas, and subsequent work is progressing. more transparency and inclusiveness in the work of the Let me take this opportunity to assure the Assembly of Security Council vis-à-vis the general membership is Denmark’s continued support for the reform of the imminent. United Nations. In that regard, we welcome the work being done At the 2005 world summit, heads of State or by the Security Council on improving its working Government declared support for early reform of the methods, which includes efforts to enhance the Security Council as an essential element of our overall efficiency and transparency of the Council’s work, as effort to reform the United Nations. The conclusion of well as stronger interaction and dialogue with non- the sixtieth session is approaching, and so far we have Council members. We look forward to the full made only limited progress on the Security Council implementation of the improved working methods and reform issue. Allow me to briefly restate Denmark’s welcome the intention expressed by the Security position. This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the interpretation of speeches delivered in the other languages. Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only. They should be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, room C-154A. Corrections will be issued after the end of the session in a consolidated corrigendum. 06-43658 (E) *0643658* A/60/PV.95 Council to continue to consider ways to improve its follow-up to the outcome of the Millennium Summit. working methods. This coincides with Nigeria’s expectations that Security Council reform will not be permanently As we all know too well, this issue has been on deferred. Indeed, it is also consistent with the decision our agenda for 13 years. It is time now to move from of our leaders in September 2005. reflection to action. It is time to compromise. We need a stronger United Nations — a United Nations better At the outset, let me state that Nigeria fully suited to addressing the new threats and challenges the associates itself with the African position conveyed by world is facing — and reform of the Security Council the Permanent Representative of Algeria this morning. is an integral part of that effort. It has always been the view of Nigeria that the Mr. Butagira (Uganda): The Uganda delegation reform of the United Nations would not be complete aligns itself with the statement delivered by the without a fundamental reform and increase in the size Ambassador of Algeria on behalf of the African Group. and the composition of the Security Council. Moreover, such reform should accommodate the On the issue of the expansion of the Security legitimate claim of Africa to representation on the Council, Africa’s position is clear and unambiguous — Council in the permanent membership category. We we call for no less than two permanent seats with a believe that such an outcome would reflect the new veto, and five non-permanent seats. We have listened realities and thereby enable the Council to gain in to other proposals, but we still maintain our position. stature and credibility, as well as ensure that its One may say that we are not realistic or that we are decisions attract the wider support of the international obstinate, but ours is a principled stand. We are the community. only continent without a permanent seat on the Security Council, despite our size and influence. True, Africa’s position on Security Council reform has the existence of veto-wielding powers on the Security been defined in the decisions taken by African heads of Council is an anomaly and anachronistic, and ideally, State and Government at the fifth and sixth ordinary that arrangement should not be emulated by extending sessions of the Assembly of the African Union in Sirte veto to new entrants, but so long as the veto exists, we in July 2005, Khartoum in January 2006, and most do not want to join as second-class so-called recently in Banjul. The fact is that the issues raised in permanent members. the debate on Security Council reform, for which we have canvassed over the years and in the past months, We think we can wage the fight in two stages. remain clear. Just as the General Assembly took the First, the new permanent members should have the decision to establish the Human Rights Council and the right of veto. In the second stage, we would strive to Peacebuilding Commission, the time is ripe to act abolish the veto and have a truly democratic Security decisively on Security Council reform. It would do a Council. In the meantime, let us tackle a less great disservice to our Organization if Member States problematic issue — the expansion of the category of were to continue to prevaricate on this matter. non-permanent members. I believe that could be done. Nigeria respects the viewpoints of those Member My delegation also thinks we can improve on the States that insist on the need for consensus before such working methods of the Security Council, since that a decision is taken. However, we equally recognize does not involve an amendment of the Charter. In that that, in the greater national interests of our respective regard, my delegation is of the view that a draft peoples, we rarely allow the search for consensus to resolution entitled “Improving the working methods of inhibit important decisions. It is essential therefore the Security Council”, submitted by Costa Rica, that, in the interests and for the future of our Jordan, Liechtenstein and Singapore, deserves support. Organization, we make every effort to bring all Mr. Adekanye (Nigeria): On behalf of the Member States on board on this issue without losing delegation of Nigeria, I have the honour to express our sight of our primary goal. That may well entail some gratitude to Mr. Eliasson for scheduling this General element of flexibility, but flexibility that is informed by Assembly debate on the question of equitable a shared view that Council reform in all its aspects is representation on and increase in the membership of long overdue. the Security Council and related matters, as well as the 2 06-43658 A/60/PV.95 If we proceed along that path, Nigeria is on this long-standing question, just as we have confident that we should, in the immediate future, advanced in resolving other important issues relating to achieve that goal and thereby not only rekindle the the institutional reform of our Organization. hopes and confidence of humankind in the United In matters of international peace and security, the Nations, but also prove wrong its vocal critics who continued importance of the Security Council rests wrongly argue that Member States, individually and upon its unique position in international law and collectively, cannot rise to the challenges of true politics, its pivotal role within the body of law relating multilateralism. Let us send forth from this hallowed to the use of force, and its power to determine and Hall a clear message of our common resolve not to let enforce any measure necessary to restore international slip yet another opportunity to address this matter once peace and security. and for all. It is a well-known fact that, after the end of the There are also those who believe that the States cold war, the Security Council became much more Members of this Organization should be content with active. Over 1,000 resolutions have been adopted over merely tinkering with the working methods of the the past 15 years, compared to 644 in the previous 45 Security Council, and that that would better serve the years. Yet, that remarkable increase in activity has not, interests of the broad membership.
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