Statement delivered at the Informal meeting of the plenary of the UN General Assembly on the intergovernmental negotiations on the question of equitable represntation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council
I would like to start by commending you, Madam Chairperson [the Chairperson of the Intergovernmental Negotiations on the Security Council reform, Ambassador Sylvie Lucas of Luxembourg,] for your efforts and engagement in pursuing the constructive and result-orientated negotiations on the Security Council reform. As it was stated many times, today the 15-member Security Council is a lot less representative than at the time it was founded. In order to effectively carry out its responsibilities, it must have legitimacy and the ability to act. Improving the legitimacy of the Security Council, making it more transparent, more representative and more capable to respond to global challenges of today are the key tasks that require our resolve.
Lithuania would hardly imagine a satisfactory outcome of the Security Council reform without expanding both categories of membership – permanent and non-permanent, with all members of the same category getting the same rights and obligations. It is, nevertheless, important to emphasize that the increase in the membership should not hamper the effectiveness of the work of the Council.
As member of the Eastern European regional group, my delegation would like to stress the fact that due to the political transformations that took place in our part of the world after the end of the Cold War, the group has grown significantly in numbers and that this increase should therefore be reflected in the future composition of the Council. This group, among others, should be ensured adequate representation in an expanded Security Council through the allocation of one additional non-permanent seat.
In general, we believe that appropriate geographic balance should be ensured to reflect the composition of the full membership of the UN on the enlarged Council. Therefore, Africa being another underrepresented region deserves an enhanced representation on the Council. Moreover, any potential enlargement should not diminish the chances of small states to be represented on the Council.
I will conclude by saying that only through adequate representation on the Council, the legitimacy and accountability of this important world body can be improved.
I thank you.
