Arab Group stresses need of UNSC reforms
NEW YORK: The Arab Group at the UN General Assembly underlined the importance of a comprehensive UN Security Council reform, especially after over two decades of discussions aimed at enlarging the Council’s membership and improving its work methods. This came during a speech by Kuwait’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi, on behalf of the Arab Group at the UNGA, on the issue of equitable representation in the Council, increasing the number of its members and related matters.
Otaibi expressed the Arab Group’s belief that it is vital to reform the UNSC by reaching solutions that are widely accepted by member states. Reforming UNSC is under the Charter of the Organization, he said, adding that there are several challenges related to the reform, most notably the veto. He regretted that the vast majority of times that the veto has been used, especially during the last three decades, have been on issues concerning the Arab region.
The Arab Group, considering its political, cultural and heritage specificity, deserves to be represented as a stand-alone bloc at the UNSC, representing about 350 million people including 22 member countries; about 12 percent of the general membership of the UN, Otaibi pointed out. He also underscored the need for any documents issued within the framework of the negotiations process to accurately reflect the positions of all countries and groups.
On the issue of improving and developing the working methods and procedures of the Council, Otaibi said that it is imperative to make more effective and transparent work by agreeing to permanent procedures instead of temporary ones. He called for creating a role for the concerned countries and their participation in the discussions on issues for the UNSC, in accordance with Article 31 of the UN Charter. The Arab Group calls on the subsidiary organs of the UNSC and its committees to provide full information on their activities to the UN members, stressing the need for the Security Council to adhere strictly to the limits of its mandate under the Charter, he said.
On behalf of the Arab Group, Otaibi welcomed the progress made in previous sessions in identifying common elements between the positions and proposals of the countries, with regard to the five negotiating issues and the existence of many fundamental points of difference. The Arab Group affirms its determination to continue to participate actively and positively during the next round of government negotiations and are open to consultation with all other negotiating groups, achieving real and comprehensive UNSC reforms within a framework of transparent and constructive spirit, he said.