Statement
by
Jasna Ognjanovac
Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Croatia
General Assembly
Fifty-seventh Session
Item 11
Report of the Security Council
Item 40
Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and related matters
October 15, 2002
Mr. President,
The new format in the Report of the Security Council and the changes made therein are valuable. The Report had been transformed into a genuine working instrument. It is more reader-friendly and more organized. We specially welcome the analytical introduction which we consider a good start. We commend the efforts put into the work on the new format of the Report by the members of the Security Council and encourage them to further develop new improvements in the next Report.
The year covered by the Report was full of events that needed swift and efficient reaction of the Security Council. The Council´s response to the threat of terrorism after September 11 demonstrated the real value of the Council. The most important highlight of this response was the transparent manner in which it was done. That enabled all the member states of the United Nations to be fully involved in the process and to unite forces in the struggle against terrorism, that thus became global. We hope that the lesson learned from this process will be taken into account in the future discussions and decision-making of the Council. Similarly, the timely-mannered response of the Council on the situation in Afganistan, with the full involvement of the non-member states of the Council participating in the public meetings on this subject, have put once grave situation that had threatened the peace and security in the world, on the side of the success stories in the Council´s Report. We commend the strengthened co-operation between the Security Council and the General Assembly and ECOSOC which we believe could add a new quality in the tasks of the post-conflict management.
In order to have more positive developments like these, Council has to ensure the full implementation of its resolutions. Innovative and successful mechanisms, like the Antiterroristic Committee, might indicate possible avenues in this regard.
Mr. President,
It is unfortunate that soon we might have the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the Open-ended Working Group to consider all aspects of the question of increase of the membership of the Security Council and other matters related to the Security Council. This year not much progress has been made. Although many of us are ready to undertake steps to start serious reform of the composition and the work of the Security Council, some, however, remained reluctant. We are all aware of the fundamental changes in international relations since the founding of the United Nations, as well as of the new challenges we are facing today. These challenges require innovative approach and the global, effective response in order to be successfully dealt with. This is why we believe that new resolve and energy is needed to move the negotiations in the Open-ended Working Group forward.
It is encouraging that there were some positive results in the working methods of the Security Council, specially in the new relations with the troop-contributing countries. There exists some greater transparency of work as well. But, we would rather consider good examples as the beginning of the process than as the attained achievements.
Mr. President,
During the Millennium Summit we all agreed that we want to have strong United Nations. We all agreed then that we must undertake necessary reforms, including the reform of the Security Council, to achieve this goal. We have the forum to discuss it, now it is time to demonstrate the political will.
Thank you, Mr. President.
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