Statement by H.E. Mr. Hiroshi Minami
Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations
At the Ad Hoc Working Group of the Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly
20 February 2017
Thank you, Co-Chairs,
At the outset, I would like to thank the Permanent Representative of Croatia for his continuous engagement as co-chair of this Ad Hoc Working Group. Last year, your leadership, along with the guidance of the former co-chair, the Permanent Representative of Namibia at that time, led us to the adoption of resolutions 69/321 and 70/305.
I would also like to welcome the Permanent Representative of United Arab Emirates as the new co-chair.
My delegation will spare no efforts to extend our full cooperation and support to the co-chairs during this session.
(Selection of the next SG)
Co-chairs,
First, let me touch upon the selection process of the Secretary-General.
Ambassador Koro Bessho, Permanent Representative of Japan, recently issued a note on the selection process of the Secretary-General. This note was entitled, “Selection Process of the Secretary-General of the United Nations: Achievements and Lessons Learned,” and was recently circulated as a UN document under the symbol A/71/774-S/2017/93. In this note, Ambassador Bessho discusses key factors of the 2016 selection process. This process achieved numerous outcomes, and the starting point was, indeed, Resolution 69/321 on GA revitalization.
One key word that symbolizes the 2016 selection process is “transparency.” Undoubtedly, the General Assembly played a crucial role in promoting transparency. For instance, the joint letter dated 15 December 2015 established a basic framework for the entire process. The series of joint letters for respective candidatures were also significant in terms of information sharing. Above all, the Informal Dialogues were the most innovative element in this process. All candidates were exposed to the public to express their visions and priorities as Secretary-General. Some even referred to the Informal Dialogues as “primaries” for the Secretary-General.
While the General Assembly attracted much attention by increasing transparency, the Security Council faced severe criticism on this matter. In his note, Ambassador Bessho made several suggestions for future consideration, in his personal capacity, based on his experience, in particular, as President of the Security Council for the month of July 2016. Specifically, he suggests that straw polls should be replaced by official votes in a private meeting of the Security Council, and that results should be made public. He also places emphasis on the importance of setting up clearer deadlines and shortlisting candidates.
I sincerely hope that Ambassasdor Bessho’s note will provide a solid foundation for future discussions on the selection processes of Secretaries-General.
(Working methods)
Co-chairs,
The improvement of working methods is an essential element of discussions in the context of GA revitalization.
The rationalization of the GA's work is an urgent challenge. In this regard, the biennialization or triennialization of agendas should be considered, a change we have advocated for a couple of years. With regard to the 2030 Agenda, a consultation on alignment, tasked by the PGA and led by Australia and Argentina, is currently under progress. Japan will actively contribute to the discussions in this process, and I believe that breaking the silo approach, including through rationalizing the GA’s work and emphasizing implementation on the ground, are keys to fostering the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
The timing of the election of the President of the General Assembly is also an important theme to discuss. According to the rules of procedure, the GA shall elect the PGA at least three months before the opening of the session, namely in June. In order to facilitate preparation efforts by the PGA-elect, it is worth considering the possibility of moving this election to an earlier date. For instance, the elections of the members of the Security Council and ECOSOC were held earlier in 2016, and it seems that this change brought positive results thus far in terms of the readiness of newly elected members to undertake their respective agendas.
Co-chairs,
The General Assembly is the most important main body of the United Nations, reflecting the voices of all 193 Member States. We should be seriously and earnestly tackling the issue of GA revitalization, so that the General Assembly remains effective and efficient. I look forward to working closely with the co-chairs and with all Member States, building upon the positive outcomes of Resolutions 69/321 and 70/305.
I thank you, Co-Chairs.
