President,
Norway fully aligns with the statement delivered by Ecuador on behalf of the ACT group. As they eloquently underlined, the Annual Report is one of the principal- and Charter-mandated- instruments through which the Council accounts to the wider membership for the exercise of responsibilities entrusted to it on behalf of all Member States.
That is why the debate today is essential, and we welcome the ongoing efforts by you President, and previous PGAs to summarise these debates and transmit them back to the Council with recommendations.
Yet, as it currently stands the Council has nowhere to receive this input, no functioning Informal Working Group on Documentation to consider and act on the views and recommendations of the broader membership. And for that matter, no fully functioning committees whatsoever. This is a deeply concerning situation. Without agreement on the distribution of subsidiary body chairs, some of the Council’s most practical work continues to lie dormant. Every day that passes without Council agreement, and without fully functioning subsidiary bodies, undermines the Council’s credibility and legitimacy. A risk the world cannot afford to take.
We therefore welcome that this issue is included in the Report’s introduction. Through additions like this, the Report must become a more critical and analytical reflection of the realities of the work of the Council. This is not a mere record-keeping exercise.
President,
Accordingly we welcome the efforts undertaken by Pakistan in drafting and holding consultations with the membership on the introduction, and the Council’s reflections on: key trends affecting its work, the use of the veto, cooperation with the Peacebuilding Commission, and the launch of the Secretary-General selection and appointment process- which we expect will also be a key feature in the Council’s 2026 report. But more must be done.
President,
We note with concern the low number of completed monthly assessments reflected in the Annual Report for 2025. We remain concerned that a misconception about a consensus requirement for these reports may unnecessarily draw out the process for their completion, and water down their content to simple listing of meetings. Monthly assessments can provide a valuable analytical look at the Council’s work month by month, and are vital to inform the drafting of the Annual Report.
Finally President,
We see potential for the Annual Report to be used to record and reflect on other procedural matters. This includes implementation of article 27(3) of the UN Charter regarding the obligatory abstention of a party to a dispute from voting in the Council in decisions under Chapter six, and under paragraph 3 of Article 52 - on which implementation by Council Members has been lacking for some time. Norway steadfastly supports ongoing efforts for this Assembly to play its role to ensure full implementation of the Charter, and this important provision. Including through the current work on a General Assembly resolution to this end, which seeks greater reflection of this issue in the Council’s Annual Report. We look forward to working with all on this.
Thank you.