Co-Chairs,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Nordic countries, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden and Norway.
The Nordic position on all five key issues of Security Council reform is underpinned by an overall goal: to build a more representative, effective, transparent and accountable Security Council. One that is better equipped to act, and to fulfil its mandate towards the maintenance of international peace and security.
This also means building a Council which reflects the world of today, and which can address the needs and concerns of people from all regions.
This informs our answer to your first guiding question Co-Chairs: on size, the Nordic countries see expansion of the Council as a means to achieve a more representative Council, but we do not have a fixed position on the overall size. We remain flexible to reach this through negotiation of the other key issues- like regional representation and categories of membership- to hopefully lead to a final workable size.
Specific working methods will also need to be devised to accommodate a larger Council. Including for the rotation of the Council Presidency. We must find solutions that ensure all members have the opportunity to hold the Presidency at least once during their tenure.
We must also ensure that expansion does not negatively impact the full participation of all Security Council members in its work - with a particular emphasis on elected members.
Co-Chairs,
On your second question on the Pact for the Future, we see Action 39 as a basis for our work. It sets out agreed principles for the IGN across all 5 key issue areas. These principles represent common understandings we can build on.
Action 40 then outlines how we will achieve this through the IGN. Including the development of a consolidated model- which we firmly support as a means to get us to text-based negotiations.
Co-Chairs,
As you have referenced in your guiding questions, the measures outlined in Action 41 of the Pact are significant also to ensure that we are continuously reviewing, updating, and improving the working methods of the Council.
However, the measures in Action 41 all point to changes that are needed for the Council in its current composition. This may take place outside of the IGN as all these measures could be furthered without touching the composition of the Security Council.
This includes initiatives on ensuring:
- the consistent application of all provisions of the Charter including article 27 (3),
- that the Council is not paralysed in the face of mass atrocities through the ACT Code of Conduct and French-Mexican initiative,
- ensuring also more accountability for the use of veto including through the Veto Initiative,
- and strengthening the GA’s own role in matters of international peace and security.
There are other venues and opportunities for this in the GA including through processes like GA Revitalization.
But we must also continue to support and make suggestions to the Council to undertake efforts itself through its Informal Working Group, and through updates to Note 507. Including on the issues mentioned in Action 41 like:
- penholdership,
- the Council’s cooperation and communication with other bodies like the PBC,
- ensuring the participation and access to the work of the Security Council by the broader membership,
- and improving the overall accountability and transparency of its work.
These continual efforts are vital to ensure an effective and accountable Council, and will ultimately support the work we are undertaking here in the IGN.
Finally, we must not overlook the significance of Action 42. This action contains our commitment to increase efforts to revitalise the work of the General Assembly with its important complementary power, including when the Security Council is paralysed.
Co-Chairs,
The Nordic countries have a defined vision of how we view an expanded Council, yet we remain open to all ideas that can lead to finding a middle ground. It is only by bridging our differences with determination and a spirit of compromise that we will be able to deliver meaningful reform.
The Nordic countries look forward to continuing this important work with you.
Thank you.