UNGA: UNSC REFORM: PGA BRIEFS INFORMAL PLENARY OF

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000069 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KUNR UNGA UNSC GE JA BR IN SUBJECT: UNGA: UNSC REFORM: PGA BRIEFS INFORMAL PLENARY OF THE GA ON OEWG'S CONSULTATIONS REF: A. 08 USUN NEW YORK 1200 ¶B. 08 USUN NEW YORK 1095 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The President of the General Assembly (PGA) presented the results of the Open-ended Working Group's consultations on framework and modalities of Security Council expansion negotiations in an informal session of the General Assembly on January 29, in line with General Assembly Decision 62/557. The PGA announced that intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council expansion would commence February 19, 2009, when the PGA would present a work plan "providing clarity on the terms and modalities." Many Uniting for Consensus (UFC) bloc members welcomed the launch date for intergovernmental negotiations but commented that they hoped the PGA would consult and seek the membership's input on "terms and modalities." Singapore asked the PGA to open up those consultations to all member states. The Group of Four (G-4) bloc members and supporters lauded the PGA's launch date for negotiations and agreed with Singapore's request. They also requested from the PGA a composite paper of all member states' proposals on Security Council expansion. Algeria proposed that the PGA hold a session of the informal plenary to discuss the work plan and "terms and modalities" before the February 19 launch of intergovernmental negotiations. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) In line with paragraph (c) of General Assembly Decision 62/557, President of the General Assembly (PGA) Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann presented the results of the Open-ended Working Group's consultations on framework and modalities to an informal plenary session of the General Assembly on January 29. 125 Member States made statements during the six meetings of the OEWG which the PGA concluded "demonstrated an overwhelming and across-the-board appetite" to start intergovernmental negotiations in the informal plenary of the General Assembly. The PGA also recognized that a number of Member States had made suggestions which included "concrete, constructive, and useful elements" for intergovernmental negotiations. He noted the proposals by Mexico and the Republic of Korea, Spain and Argentina, and Canada and Malta, and said they would be annexed in their entirety to the report of the OEWG at the end of the 63rd session, per paragraph (g) of Decision 62/557. ¶3. (SBU) The PGA announced that in moving forward to intergovernmental negotiations, he and his Vice Chair, Afghan Perm Rep Tanin, would be closely following Decision 62/557, the UN Charter, the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document, the relevant UN rules and procedures, legal advice, past practice, and member states' input through the OEWG to provide "swift action and steadfast leadership." The PGA announced that intergovernmental negotiations would commence on February 19 in an informal plenary of the GA at which the PGA said he would "present a work plan, providing clarity on the terms and modalities, and also providing a short-term schedule of meetings on in particular the five key issues." (Note: The five key issues, per Decision 62/557 (e) (ii),are "categories of membership, the question of the veto, regional representation, size of an enlarged Council and working methods of the Security Council, and the relationship between the Council and the General Assembly. End note.) ¶4. (SBU) In closing his presentation, the PGA quoted the 2005 World Summit Outcome document: "An early reform of the Security Council -- an essential element of our overall effort to reform the United Nations -- in order to make it more broadly representative, efficient and transparent and thus to further enhance its effectiveness and the legitimacy and implementations of its decisions." He recalled Decision 62/557 which states that intergovernmental negotiations be conducted "in good faith, with mutual respect and in an open, inclusive and transparent manner" and "seeking a solution that can garner the widest possible political acceptance by Member States." ¶5. (SBU) The PGA then opened the floor, and 25 delegations commented. The debate focused on two issues: whether the PGA should issue his work plan before or after discussion with members, and what format those discussions should take -- informal consultations with some or all of the members in separate groupings or in a session of the informal plenary of the GA. The first seven speakers (Italy, Pakistan, Argentina, Spain, Mexico, Malta, and South Korea) were from the Uniting for Consensus (UFC) bloc and cautioned the PGA against issuing a work plan that delves into substance, specifically his intent to provide "clarity on the terms and modalities," before consulting widely with the membership. The Singapore Perm Rep called on the PGA to circulate his draft work plan to all Member States at the same time and in advance of the informal plenary session on February 19. He said that there should not be consultations with only the major groups, such as the UFC, Group of Four (G-4),and P-5, since that will leave the rest of the membership without a voice, contrary to the PGA's professed spirit of democratizing the UN. The G-4 response was led by the German Perm Rep who agreed that pre-consultations of only certain groups would not be helpful; and said instead discussions should be in the informal plenary after the work plan is distributed. The Algerian Perm Rep, an Africa Group and UFC member, said he concurred with Singapore's suggestion and proposed that the PGA hold a meeting of the informal plenary of the GA prior to February 19 for a discussion of "terms and modalities" so that intergovernmental negotiations could be launched on February 19. At the end of the meeting, the PGA said he welcomed the Algerian intervention. ¶6. (SBU) The Brazilian Perm Rep, a G-4 member, proposed that the PGA draw up a composite paper organizing all of the member states' proposals and include that in the work plan. Other G-4 members and supporters, such as Barbados, Nigeria, Japan, Panama, India, Ecuador, and Mauritius subsequently voiced support for this idea. The Rwandan Perm Rep spoke on behalf of the African Group and welcomed the launch date for intergovernmental negotiations. He said February 19 would be the first day of a new era toward ending the injustice of Africa not being properly represented on the Security Council. ¶7. (SBU) Venezuela, which had not taken the floor during the six OEWG meetings, used the informal plenary session to voice strong support for the PGA and welcome the launch date for intergovernmental negotiations, and called for the building of a new world order in which the UN would not be immune to change. He said that President Chavez has repeatedly stressed the need for reform of the Security Council in terms of both categories of members (i.e., permanent and elected), the elimination of the veto, and working methods. Rice