He said that "A member-state driven & IGN-centric process is the only pathway to reform. We are prepared to breathe new life in the IGN but some are bent upon killing the process".
"Pakistan and the UfC believe that creation of new permanent seats will defeat the purpose of SC reform. This will make the Council less representative, less effective and more divided and will diminish the right of the vast majority of the UN membership to serve on the Council": he said.
"The UFC's proposal can accommodate the aspirations of the African Group, the SIDs, and the Arab Group, & the OIC. The G4 is unlikely to apply Africa's regional approach to their own regions" he further added.
He highlighted the following key points:
• Pakistan’s principled position for a comprehensive reform of the Security Council which meets the interests of all member states.
• Pakistan is firmly opposed to the creation of new permanent seats.This will make the Council less representative; less effective ; more divided; & erode the principle of sovereign equality of states.
• The IGN process is the best pathway to a comprehensive reform.
• Any attempt to stage a procedural ‘coup’ of the IGN would be divisive and could kill the IGN process.
He also underscored that:
• The UfC proposal to have 21 non-permanent seats would redress the ‘deficit’ of equitable representation in the Security Council. It accommodates the interests of all groups including the African, and Arab Group, the OIC and SIDs.
• The consensus-based African model is anchored in the twin imperatives of ‘representation’ and ‘accountability’.
• It is unfortunate that while espousing support to the African position, some delegations are unwilling to apply the approach of regional representation to their own regions.
• Divergences persist on fundamental aspects of UNSC reforms. Any attempt to introduce a consolidated 'text' would crystallize and deepen these differences and lead to a dead-end.
• The attempt to discard the IGN is the result of the frustration of some states' failure to secure support for their bid for permanent membership.
The Intergovernmental Negotiations framework or IGN is a group of nation-states working within the United Nations to further reform of the United Nations Security Council.
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