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H. E. MR. KOICHI HARAGUCHI
Permanent Representative of Japan
At the Meeting of the Open-Ended Working
Group
on the Question of Equitable Representation on
and Increase
in the Membership of the Security Council
and Other Matters
Related to the Security Council
10 February 2003
Mr. Chairman,
At the outset, I would like to congratulate
you for assuming the chair and presiding over the Open-ended
Working Group on Security Council reform this year. Japan
will spare no effort to realize progress in our work under
your able leadership. I would also like to congratulate Ambassador
Ingolfsson of Iceland on his reappointment as vice-chairman
and Ambassador Kasemsarn of Thailand on his assumption of
the same post.
Mr. Chairman,
Established in January 1994, this Open-ended
Working Group is entering its 10th year of discussions. At
the Working Group last year, Japan focused its efforts on
further improving the paper prepared by President Holkeri
the previous year. Unfortunately, we were unable to achieve
any progress. Indeed, the discussions on Security Council
reform have made little significant progress throughout the
past decade. It may therefore be worthwhile, on the occasion
of the 10th anniversary of this Group, to reflect upon this
issue by returning to the starting point of our efforts, in
the hope that the participants in this session’s discussions
may bring fresh perspectives and different ideas from those
of their predecessors.
Mr. Chairman,
The structure of the Security Council has
remained unchanged since 1965, when the number of its non-permanent
seats were expanded. Since then, however, as many as 73 countries
have joined the United Nations, making its total membership
to 191 states. This situation has led us to doubt if the membership
of the Security Council is sufficiently representative of
the expanded UN membership. This is an increasingly serious
issue, because it has much to do with the members’ perception
of the Security Council’s legitimacy. It is also essential
to recognize the fact that the nature of international relations
has been undergoing tremendous changes. With the end of the
cold war, on one hand we could look forward to a harmonious
new world order, free from the East-West ideological confrontation
and huge stockpiles of weapons, while on the other we have
witnessed disruptions of ethnic and religious conflicts which
had been held in check by that East-West rivalry. It was against
the background of this increased membership of the United
Nations and these changes in the international relations that
the Security Council reform effort was initiated.
Mr. Chairman,
The Security Council must be reformed, in
accordance with changes in the international community if
it is to discharge its mission more effectively. Indeed, the
international community has continued to undergo rapid changes
ever since the discussions in the Working Group began. As
a consequence, there have been increasing number of cases
where the Security Council has to address non-military problems
such as HIV/AIDS, the status of women, and food issues, in
addition to political and security issues, in its efforts
to secure international peace and stability. Thus the Council
is required to have knowledge and expertise in an ever wider
range of fields. In dealing with counter-terrorism, for example,
the Council must address not only international security issues,
but also public order issues within a country, and economic
issues such as international financing. Likewise, in order
to secure effective implementation of its resolutions, it
is essential for the Security Council to have the cooperation
not only of its members but also other UN Member States in
a broad range of areas. Whether the current Council, in terms
of its size and composition, is adequate to gain such cooperation
is an open question.
As a result of the Council’s not having
been reformed, some of the countries that are making important
contributions in the area of peace and security in this rapidly
changing world have been deprived of opportunities for the
past ten years to fully participate in the Council’s
decision-making process. Japan, for example, pays 19.6 percent
of the United Nations regular as well as PKO budget; this
is more than the combined contributions of all permanent members
of the Security Council other than the United States. While
I do not intend to suggest that financial contributions are
the overriding consideration, the importance of such contributions
is undeniable. Countries must be able to participate in the
Council’s decision-making process in a manner that is
commensurate with the level of their contributions. This current
situation is neither helpful in strengthening the effectiveness
of the Council nor, I shall say, fair.
Mr. Chairman,
In the Millennium Declaration in 2000, heads
of states and governments committed themselves to comprehensive
reform of the Security Council. It is incumbent upon us to
continue our efforts to realize that commitment. Many countries
stressed the importance of Security Council reform when we
discussed this issue at the General Assembly last October.
And many among them supported an expansion of both the permanent
and non-permanent seats. Clearly, the necessary elements to
reach general agreement on Security Council reform are already
on the table. It is thus all the more regrettable that this
Working Group, which has been given the mandate by the General
Assembly to advance the goal, has not achieved significant
progress.
Engaging in a repetition of our discussion
thus far will surely result in "discussion-fatigue",
as it were, among members of the Working Group. What is needed
is fresh momentum and the political will to realize comprehensive
reform. The paper in front of us, which was also the basis
for discussion in last year’s Working Group, covers
all the elements of this issue. I would like to suggest that
we base our efforts on this paper and begin to work toward
preparing a realistic reform package step by step. But if
it becomes clear that progress cannot be expected in this
Working Group, where decisions are made by consensus, we may
have to consider further measures.
Japan looks forward to strong leadership from
you on this issue, Mr. Chairman. I would like to conclude
my remarks by reiterating our readiness to support you in
every possible way.
Thank you very much.
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