MaximsNewsNetwork: UN SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM: DEBATE IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

MaximsNewsNetwork: 12 November 2009 - UNTV: The General Assembly debates expansion and reform of the Security Council.

The General Assembly met today (12 November) to debate the Report of the Security Council and the question of equitable representation on, and increase in the membership of, the Council.

Egyptian Ambassador Maged Abdelfattah Abdelaziz speaking on behalf of the Non-aligned Movement said that enlarging and reforming the Security Council and its working methods should ensure that the agenda of the Council reflects the needs and interests of both developing and developed countries and should aim at limiting and curtailing the use of the veto with a view to its elimination, leading to a democratic, more representative, more accountable and more effective Security Council.

As established in the UN Charter, there are 15 members in the Council, consisting of five veto-wielding permanent members and ten elected non-permanent members holding two-year terms.

Indian Member Of Parliament, Manish Tewari, told delegates that in order to make genuine and rapid progress on Security Council reform, it is imperative that institutions of global governance do not remain chained to the balance of global power that existed in 1945.

The Security Council was established in 1945 with its current structure and held its first session on 17 January 1946.

German Ambassador Martin Ney pointed out that a reformed Security Council should have a permanent African presence as well as other countries from the South, Brazil and India and also those who significantly contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security like Japan and Germany.

Brazilian Ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti said that diversity had to be embedded in Security Council reform, thus making it more legitimate, more representative and hence more effective.

Several formulas have been debated in recent years for the makeup of a reformed and expanded Council, including increasing the number of permanent members by five, namely Brazil, Germany, India, Japan, and one seat from Africa.

MaximsNewsNetwork:
News Network for the United Nations and the International Community.
See: http://www.MaximsNews.com.
"GIVING POWER & RESONANCE TO THE VOICE OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY"

.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• UN Security Council reform
• General Assembly debate
• Maged Abdelfattah Abdelaziz
• Manish Tewari
• MaximsNews Network
• Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti
• Martin Ney