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Ambassador Jinga: The Security Council’s composition should reflect new geopolitical and demographic realities
*Statement by Ambassador Dr. Ion Jinga, Permanent Representative of Romania to the UN, in the Security Council open debate on the working methods of the Council
On 19 July 2016, the Permanent Representative of Romania to the UN delivered a statement in the UN Security Council during the open debate on the working methods of the Council. The topic raised the interest of a large number of UN member states, which have stressed the importance of increasing transparency, inclusiveness and efficiency in the activity of the UN Security Council, in the context of the current unprecedented challenges to international peace and security.
The Permanent Representative of Romania emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach to the working methods of the Council, which would respond to the call of the UN membership for transparency, contribute to conflict prevention, and integrate the topic into the broader context of the UN Security Council reform: “The Security Council is responsible for its methods of work and it is up to the Council to adopt and modify them. At the same time, the entire UN membership has conferred on the Council the primary responsibility for preserving the international peace and security. The Council acts on behalf of the UN member states and its decisions must to be respected by all. Which is why the working methods of the Security Council is an issue that concerns the entire UN membership.”
Noting the progress made in recent years in adapting the Council’s methods of work to the new global realities, the Romanian diplomat underlined the need for more discussions in open, extensive and informal formats, which take into account the views of non-members of the Security Council and of different actors in the field (UN subsidiary bodies, regional organizations, civil society) on topics such as peacekeeping, conflict prevention and international sanctions.
Referring to the role of the UN in conflict prevention, he reiterated that, in conflicts like in medicine, preventing is more efficient and less expensive than healing. Therefore, strengthening UN Security Council mechanisms of early warning, such as horizon-scanning briefings, briefings of the Secretariat on risks and threats, or informal interactive dialogues, can play an essential role in detecting emerging threats to international peace and security.
Placing the debate on the working methods in the broader context of the UN Security Council reform, the Permanent Representative Dr. Ion Jinga highlighted: “We may have different views on this topic, but the reality is that without identifying a common denominator to channel the debate on the Council reform, dissatisfaction and frustration among member states could slip this process in a way that affects the efficiency and credibility of the UN. In 1946, the UN had 50 member states; today, the Organization has 193 countries. In 1946, the world population was 2.5 billion; today our planet has 7.3 billion inhabitants. The Security Council’s composition should reflect these new geopolitical and demographic realities. Therefore, we must continue to search for a constructive solution on the Security Council reform, while fully respecting the UN Charter. In important moments, the Council has shown inspiration and flexibility. We have to rediscover these ingredients”.