Permanent Representative of Japan
November 20, 1998
Meeting of the General Assembly on the question of equitable representation
on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and related matters
Mr. President,
Since this is the first opportunity for me to address the General
Assembly, I would like to begin by paying tribute to you, Mr.
President, for the far-sighted manner in which you have been guiding
the work of this august body. I deem it an honor and a privilege
to work with you on the many important issues before the General
Assembly.
I am also pleased on this occasion to express the gratitude of
my delegation to your predecessor, HE Mr. Udovenko, who also
served as Chairman of the Open-ended Working Group, and to its
two Co-Vice Chairmen, Ambassadors Jayanama and Breitenstein. Thanks
to their wise and patient leadership, and their dedication to
our common goal of Security Council reform, the Working Group
maintained crucial momentum throughout the course of its work
last year.
Mr. President,
As we continue our efforts, we must always remind ourselves that
our goal in reforming the Security Council is to enhance its legitimacy
and effectiveness as the primary organ responsible for the maintenance
of international peace and security. This must be done by expanding
its membership to render it more representative of the present
day international situation and by improving its working methods.
Security Council reform is the common objective of all the members
of the United Nations. Thus, as I listened to the previous speakers,
I was encouraged by the strength of their commitment to that objective.
It is now incumbent upon us to redouble our joint efforts to reach
agreement on a package of reforms.
Mr. President,
Member States have expended a great deal of time, energy and thought
to the issue since 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 was established five years ago. All the major points have
been thoroughly discussed. A convergence of views has been achieved
on many issues, and the issues on which agreement remains to be
reached have been identified.
What is important now is that we muster the will to overcome the
remaining differences so that we can move the process forward.
As Japan's Prime Minister, Mr. Keizo Obuchi, stressed in his statement
in this hall last September, we should "be able to agree on
a package that responds to the interests of the entire international
community and to the legitimate concerns of the majority of countries."
Mr. President,
In an effort to help focus our discussions, I would like to state
Japan's position on the following three issues.
First, on the future structure of the Security Council.
It is clear that a very large majority of Member States agree
that Security Council reform should include an increase in both
categories of membership, permanent and non-permanent. The Government
of Japan also considers that an increase in the permanent membership
should be realized through the inclusion of both developed and
developing countries, and that the methodology for selecting new
permanent members from among developing countries should be left
to the respective regions to determine. At the same time, in view
of the dramatically expanded membership of the United Nations
as a whole, the addition of an appropriate number of non-permanent
seats is necessary in order to make the Security Council truly
representative of the international community as a whole. Japan
believes that equitable representation could be achieved and effectiveness
in its work maintained by expanding its membership to twenty-four--that
is, ten permanent and fourteen non-permanent members.
The second major issue in Security Council reform concerns the
veto.
This is a complex and highly sensitive issue which requires very
careful consideration. Therefore it is advisable for us to address
this issue at the stage of formulating a final package of reforms.
It is also advisable, given the delicate nature of the veto issue
and its fundamental importance to Council reform, that we ask
a high-level working group to consider the issue and come up with
recommendations.
Let me hasten to add that this approach should by no means be
interpreted as a sidestepping of the issue. Rather, we believe
that by taking this approach we can avoid the danger that an impasse
on the veto question might prevent progress on the other aspects
of reform.
Third, Japan believes that any package of Security Council reforms
must include measures to improve the working methods of the Council
and the transparency of its decision-making process in particular.
As we have always stated, Japan regards this aspect of reform
to be of just as great importance as other aspects.
Mr. President,
Our task in the next round of the Open-ended Working Group is
to further advance our negotiations with a view to working out
a final package of reforms. In this process, each of us must summon
the courage to take a flexible attitude and demonstrate a
willingness to reach agreement on the outstanding issues. Only
then can we achieve our common goal, which is to reform the Security
Council.
In this context, I would like to refer to draft resolution L.16,
which has been introduced and subsequently revised by the Permanent
Representative of Egypt on behalf of its co-sponsors. There are
three points I wish to make.
First, with regard to the so-called framework draft resolution,
to which some members have referred and which L.16 seems intended
to preempt, I just want to draw your attention to the fact that
there is no such resolution. Nor do we intend to present such
a resolution without prior consultations with Member States.
Second, as many speakers have already pointed out, L.16 has profound
legal implications. According to Article 18 of the Charter, General
Assembly resolutions are adopted either by a simple majority or,
in the case of important issues, by a two thirds majority of members
present and voting. The majority mentioned in Article 108 applies
to Charter amendments only. L.16, however, in effect entails amending
the Charter through a voting procedure that is not provided for
in the Charter.
Third, I share the concern that has already been expressed by
a number of my colleagues that, should L.16 be put to a vote at
this time, it could result in an unnecessary confrontation among
us. Indeed, a considerable number of countries have already stressed
the need for further consultations so as to preserve consensus.
Japan therefore welcomes your statement at this morning's session,
Mr. President, that you will hold consultations following the
conclusion of the general debate on the present item, with a view
to facilitating negotiations to find a mutually acceptable solution
to the matter.
I wish to emphasize that the amendment to L.16, which was introduced
by the Permanent Representative of Belgium and which we are co-sponsoring,
is an attempt to make it clear that, as the Charter clearly stipulates,
Charter amendment can be effected only through the procedure laid
out under Article 108.
Mr. President,
Turning our attention to the work of the Working Group next year,
I would like to suggest that it might be useful if the various
highly motivated and interested regional and other groupings of
countries would consult with one another and explore points on
which compromise might be possible. Ideally, they would come up
with concrete proposals which would provide a basis for negotiations
on a package of reforms. My delegation is eager to join any and
all such consultations that may be held.
Mr. President,
As we continue our work, it may be well to ask ourselves: Are
we really willing to face the challenges of the twenty-first century
with a Council whose composition was determined more than fifty
years ago, and revised only once, thirty years ago? Is it not
time that we reconstitute the Council in order to enhance its
legitimacy and effectiveness so that it can better fulfill its
purpose of maintaining world peace and security in the twenty-first
century? The answers to these questions, I believe, are obvious,
and I hope everyone will bear them in mind as we resume our efforts
in the Working Group next year.
Thank you, Mr. President.
