The delegations of UK and USA are very pleased with all the effort and time that some states are investing in finding the acceptable solution for new Security Council reform. According to UK and USA Security Council reform is a topic of great importance and is needed. Assuming that two of the current permanent members and other countries are recognizing the need for reform and are expressing will to discuss this topic, we can only expect that SC reform will move from the dead-point in which it is stuck from previous negotiations.
However, in joint statement there are some other very important ideas that UK and USA wanted to express. First is that they were disappointed about not being included in the negotiation process and construction of working papers or draft resolution. As we reported African Union and G4 are preparing working paper and also Uniting for Consensus is very active on this field. Nevertheless, according to the statement they were not approached by those countries during the negotiations. Today, we discovered that African Union group have sent the working paper to UK and USA, who had submitted their comments on it. We also found out that delegations of African Union countries have already invited UK delegate to a meeting that will take place next week. We can hope that cooperation and communication between the P5 and other states is improving.
Second idea expressed by USA and UK can be understood as a warning, because it is sending clear signal that some states should not make plans without discussing to current P5 countries. "A strategy that leaves out members of P5 is perilous, because it will be particularly hard to coordinate some opposing and diverging positions in the short space of time before the actual debate," was pointed out in the statement. UK and USA delegations go on saying that: "We will not be supporting any proposal for Security Council reform simply because it enjoys the most support in the General Assembly or is preferable to all other proposals." In their opinion, SC reform is one of the most delicate and risky project that has be dealt with a lot of patience and prudence. "Its efficiency and effectiveness must be at the forefront of all proposals," they concluded.
Luka Kavčič
Bellow you can read whole joint statement:
Joint
Statement by the Delegations of the
United
States of America and
United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
The Governments of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and United States of America wish to express their joint recognition for
the need to reform the Security Council, as well as their support for efforts
of some State representatives in finding a viable solution.
The two Governments would however also like to
express their disappointment that the coalitions developing working papers did
not include UK and USA in the negotiation process that has been unfolding for
the past weeks. We are very pleased the African Union States sent us their
working paper, which is still in draft form and we have submitted our comments.
A strategy that leaves out members of P5 is perilous,
because it will be particularly hard to coordinate some opposing and diverging
positions in the short space of time before the actual debate. We hope that in
the next few days, the UK and USA delegations, and other P5 delegations will
not only be kept informed of the development of negotiations and working
papers, but continuously consulted on any and all changes to working papers.
This is particularly essential for those groups of States that have not
approached us with their ideas and we have consequentially only speculated what
their plans may be. We also expect State representatives to take into account
our concerns and find ways of incorporating our suggestions into their
proposals.
The Governments of USA and UK have come to an
agreement that we will not be supporting any proposal for Security Council
reform simply because it enjoys the most support in the General Assembly or is preferable
to all other proposals. The reform of the Security Council, although necessary,
is one of the most delicate, but also risky projects to be undertaken by the
international community. Since the Security Council is the principal organ in
the UN system charged with addressing threats to international peace and
security, its efficiency and effectiveness must be at the forefront of all
proposals. The PR teams of the two delegations have made it clear that Security
Council reform is not about compromise, but inspired ideas.
Last, but not least, the two delegations would
like to emphasize our commitment to the P5 statement on the veto structure. The
delegation of the UK has pointed out on numerous occasions to some delegations,
such as South Africa, who is one of our closest partners, that we would be
willing to consider extending veto to new permanent members, if a pragmatic
intermediate solution would included in the proposal, whereby a new category of
seats with a longer mandate would be established and accepted as permanent seats
after the completion of this intermediate period and a review process. Since it
has been made clear to delegation of the UK that despite growing support for
this idea in the UN over the past 3 years, it would not be incorporated into a
proposal, the UK delegation will continue to support the current veto structure.
Iva
Petković
Permanent
Representative of United Kingdom to the United Nations
Urška Učakar
Permanent
Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations
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