외교부

H.E. Ambassador Cho Tae-yul

Permanent Representative

Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council Reform

First Meeting

29 January 2019

New York

                                                                                                                                     <Check against Delivery>

Thank you, Co-Chairs. Let me begin by thanking you for convening this first session of intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform during the 73^rd Session of the General Assembly. You can rest assured of my full support for your stewardship in moving this challenging process forward throughout the session. 

I would also like to commend you for having pre-session informal consultations with each and every negotiating group. Such an effort on your part will undoubtedly help ensure that the negotiation process moves forward in an inclusive and transparent manner. 

While aligning myself with the statement made earlier this morning by the Honorable Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy on behalf of the Uniting for Consensus group, I would like to make some additional comments in my national capacity.

First, as you rightly pointed out in your letter of 18 January 2019, the immediate task ahead of us is to constructively build on the progress made in the IGN process thus far. 

Our frank, interactive discussions, bolstered by the full participation of all Member States, have identified a number of issues on which our views largely converge, such as the need to scale up the size of the Council especially by increasing the non-permanent seats, take into special consideration the interests of under-represented regions, and restrain rather than expand the veto power, among others. 

It is high time to renew our commitment to the IGN process rather than pursue any path that seeks to detour around it. The IGN process is the sole legitimate negotiating process endorsed by the Member States by decision 62/557 of the General Assembly back in 2008. 

Second, we must redouble our efforts to better understand the concerns of others and work towards mutually acceptable solutions in earnest. 

As I emphasized during my intervention on this issue at the annual debate of the General Assembly last November, the proposal of the Uniting for Consensus group to add 11 non-permanent seats including 9 with longer terms, is a proposal that reflects our seriousness in accommodating the concerns of other groups, including the African group in particular, the most under-represented region. 

Over the last ten years, the UfC group has continuously modified and improved its proposals with a view to contributing to our collective efforts to achieve a broadest possible convergence among the Member States. It is our firm conviction that the UfC proposal best reflects the principles underpinning Security Council reform while ensuring that the future Council is fit for the ever-evolving geopolitical realities of the world. 

Third, we must resist the temptation of “quick-fix” for such a highly charged political issue as this one, that is, reform of a principal body of the UN responsible for maintaining international peace and security. 

In particular, yielding to temptation to invoke “the Number” as a pretext to prematurely rush into text-based negotiations is not only counter-productive, but will further entrench our divisions. We must remain on a workable path towards building consensus on key issues.

Without a doubt, the IGN is a process, the end product of which will transform the political dynamics of the United Nations and the broader international community, and will have profound impacts for many generations to come. We must, therefore, continue to carry decision 62/557, underscoring the “widest possible political acceptance” by Member States, as a torch to illuminate a path forward.

The Republic of Korea, alongside the UfC group, stands ready to work with you, Co-Chairs, and all other groups and states to achieve our common goal of making the Security Council more democratic, representative, transparent, accountable, and effective.  

Thank you. /END/