Statement by H.E. Ambassador SHINO Mitsuko, Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations, at the Informal Meeting of the General Assembly on the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council Reform

Co-Chairs,
 
Let me express once again our heartfelt congratulations to you for your reappointment. Japan especially welcomes that you have already kick-started this round of the IGN earlier than usual to secure enough time for substantial discussions. This is another example of your strong leadership and commitment to this important process for Security Council reform.
 
We also fully support a structured dialogue on models of reform and the proposed schedule. We cannot and should not expect different results by repeating the same process. Such a new way of discussion on respective models in a concrete and comprehensive manner will certainly help us identify more of the major convergences, or the common denominators, among us. Japan is determined to engage constructively in the discussion.
 
With respect to today’s topic – issues on all the five clusters[1] –
Japan fully aligns with Brazil’s statement on behalf of the G4. In my national capacity, please allow me to touch upon some among the five, that I see as priorities.
 
The most contentious but clearly-positioned, in my view, is “categories of membership.” Yes, this is the first main course on the menu of our work. The overwhelming majority of the Member States has been calling for a reform which reflects the reality of today rather than that of 1945. As long as the current permanent members remain, the only meaningful way to rectify the existing imbalance among Member States, as well as the disconnect from a desirable geographical distribution, is to add new permanent and non-permanent members which are elected in a fair, democratic, and legitimate process. We understand that this is what African countries want in order to address the historical injustice done to them, and we fully support such aspiration.
 
Japan echoes Brazil’s point that the majority of the Member States are in favor of an expansion of seats in both permanent and non-permanent categories. In fact, the Co-Chairs’ Elements paper has pointed out that “a significant number of delegations” support this idea. This is why Japan believes that we should accelerate the discussion based on this foundation.
 
The issue of “categories of membership” is very important also because resolving it could be a huge breakthrough for solving the issues of “regional representation” and “size of an enlarged Council,” and it would eventually lead us to the second main course – “the question of the veto.” We recognize growing voices for discussion on the use of veto and look forward to further conversation.
 
Co-Chairs,
 
The structured dialogue on models will be a good forum for further engagement on these issues. Based on our discussions, all of us are encouraged to propose, and revise, if necessary, in order to accommodate others’ views, thereby advancing toward more convergences. Then our formulation of the input from the IGN to the Summit of the Future would be naturally identified.
 
We very much look forward to working with you and other colleagues.
 
I thank you.