(As delivered)
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
22 March 2016
Thank you, Mr. Co-Chairs,
First of all, like previous speakers, we would like to extend our sincere condolences and our solidarity to the Government and people of Belgium.
I would like to extend our high appreciation to the co-chairs for convening today’s meeting focusing on the selection of the next Secretary-General. We expressed our views on the term of SG and the number of candidates to be recommended by the Security Council at the informal meeting on 29 February. Therefore, today, we would like to focus on the other practical issues of the selection process.
Co-Chairs,
The most important guiding principle is to select the best candidate for the next Secretary-General. The presence of a wide range of candidates with various backgrounds, including female candidates, will enable us to identify and select the best qualified candidate at the end of the process.
In our view, the best candidate is supposed to have a well-established knowledge of, and experience in, the three pillars of the United Nations, particularly peace and security, as he or she as Secretary-General will be required to exercise both managerial capability and leadership in a balanced way.
Co-Chairs,
The informal dialogues convened by the President of the General Assembly (PGA) from 12th to 14th April are the innovative initiatives based on Resolution 69/321. For the first time in the history of the United Nations, the General Assembly will hold hearings from the candidates for the next Secretary-General. It will be in the interest of all Member States to successfully conduct the informal dialogues in order to revitalize the General Assembly and enhance its authority.
We believe that there are three key elements for the success of the informal dialogues. First, smooth and early implementation. Second, interactivity. Third, appropriate questions.
Firstly, in order to ensure the smooth and early implementation of the informal dialogues, we support the PGA’s initiative to encourage all official candidates to take part in the informal dialogues in April and all potential candidates to officially present themselves at the earliest timing. Any undue benefit gained by latecomers would reduce the credibility of this process.
Moreover, it is appropriate to consider how to ensure fairness among the candidates during the informal dialogues in April, given the fact that the candidates who will come on 12th April, Day 1, will naturally be in a more difficult position than other candidates who will come later. Therefore, it might be worthwhile to consider collecting questions from Member States and sharing them with those candidates of Day 1 in advance.
Secondly, it will be critically important to make sure that a meaningful exchange of views between candidates and Member States takes place. It is true that a session per candidate will ensure fairness among the candidates, but at the same time, it might make discussions monotonous and formal. Therefore, a mechanism for interactivity will be important. For example, we are of the view that there should be no speakers list during the informal dialogues. We are also supportive of the idea of having a facilitator or moderator to moderate and clarify questions from the floor. A facilitator or moderator will play an important role, especially given the involvement of civil society in these informal dialogues.
Thirdly, we should ask the candidates appropriate and pertinent questions in order to measure and test the qualities and capabilities of the candidates. From this perspective, we support the indication given by PGA in his letter dated 25th February for five areas, namely, peace and security, sustainable development, human rights, humanitarian response and issues pertaining to the management of the Organization. At the same time, we need to add the reform of the United Nations system, particularly Security Council Reform, which is the largest unfinished business of the UN. The next Secretary-General will be required to exercise his or her leadership and capabilities in these areas in a holistic manner.
Co-Chairs,
While we are now focusing on successful implementation of the informal dialogues, we are also required to think of the way forward. More precisely, the General Assembly will have to interact with the Security Council and provide the Council with the outcome of the informal dialogues, so that the outcome will be reflected in the overall process of the selection of the next Secretary-General.
According to the joint letter of the PGA and the President of the Security Council issued on 15th December 2015, the Council begins its selection by the end of July. Japan, as elected member of the Security Council, will assume its presidency in the month of July. In such capacity, Japan is ready to contribute to smooth communication and interaction between the General Assembly and the Security Council on this matter.
I thank you, Mr. Co-Chairs.
