UN to open Security Council reform talks before late February
UNITED NATIONS: The UN General Assembly on Monday agreed to
begin negotiations on expanding the membership of the powerful Security
Council no later than next February 28.
After hours-long bargaining, the assembly adopted by consensus a
resolution on Security Council enlargement on the last day of its 62nd
session.
The text decides that the inter-governmental negotiations would begin
in an informal plenary of the General Assembly during its 63rd session,
“but not later than February 28, 2009, based on proposals by member
states, in good faith, with mutual respect and in an open, inclusive and
transparent manner.”
It said the aim was to “garner the widest possible political
acceptance by member states.”
The 192-member Assembly is to kick off its 63rd session Tuesday with
a new president, Nicaraguan Roman Catholic priest and former foreign
minister Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, who is to succeed Srgjan Kerim, a
former Macedonian foreign minister.
The thorny issue of how to enlarge the 15-member Security Council to
make it more representative and reflective of today’s global realities
has for years divided the UN membership.
Last year a report by five “facilitators” stated that most UN members
support council reform but could not agree on how to bring it about. The
authors gave no suggestion for a final solution, but noted that many
members seemed willing to look for compromise.
Tuesday, AFP |