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New York UN

STATEMENT BY AMBASSADOR VANU GOPALA MENON, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF SINGAPORE TO THE UNITED NATIONS, AT THE INFORMAL PLENARY MEETING ON THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL NEGOTIATIONS ON THE QUESTION OF EQUITABLE REPRESENTATION ON AND INCREASE IN THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL AND OTHER MATTERS RELATED TO THE COUNCIL, 2 MARCH 2011

2 March 2011

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STATEMENT BY AMBASSADOR VANU GOPALA MENON, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF SINGAPORE TO THE UNITED NATIONS, AT THE INFORMAL PLENARY MEETING ON THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL NEGOTIATIONS ON THE QUESTION OF EQUITABLE REPRESENTATION ON AND INCREASE IN THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL AND OTHER MATTERS RELATED TO THE COUNCIL, 2 MARCH 2011 

Mr Chairman,

1 As we once again embark on a new round of intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform, we cannot help but realise that five rounds have come and gone, in which we have all called ad nauseum for flexibility and real movement, but with few results. It is now time for delegations to focus our minds and take decisive action to prevent further stagnation in the crucial task before us. This is not to say that there has been zero progress, particularly with regard to the compilation text. I have to thank you, Mr Chairman, for your most recent efforts in producing this re-organised version of the text, which lays out the main positions of Member States in a cleaner and clearer manner. I am also grateful for the short informal paper you have drawn up as a guide for negotiations. We all recognise that moving these negotiations forward is a difficult task, where the devil is in the details, and the varying positions of Member States have all to be accounted for and reconciled.

2 However, what progress we have achieved does not go far enough, and the excruciating details dividing our positions must not be allowed to bog us down. There will always be differences in details. What we must find, perhaps, is an avenue of common political will or direction, or we must pragmatically push ahead on specific areas within this process where we can make some genuine headway. We are barely starting this round, and yet are already in danger of revisiting the same treadmill we expanded our energies on last year, as is evident from the pushback that has arisen against the informal "guide" produced by you. Returning to this same treadmill should not be an option, or we will soon run out of steam and simply grind to a halt. We must remind ourselves that these negotiations are not just an exercise in stamina, but should lead us to the real and important destination of Security Council reform.

3 Driven by these concerns, Singapore, alongside our fellow S5 members, has continued to think hard about possible ways of imparting some steam to these negotiations and Security Council reform in general, in particular on the issue of Working Methods. If internal exhortations cannot move things forward, perhaps a new spark could cast some light, or at least keep the issue burning. The S5 will continue to work to explore all avenues to find new and creative means to help move the process forward.

Mr Chairman,

4 The imperative for Security Council reform is more real this year than ever before. Even as the ripples of the global economic crisis continue to be felt, dramatic political events and humanitarian crises around the world call out for attention. The importance of global governance has gained universal acceptance, and the flipside of that coin is reform of global governance mechanisms, at the heart of which is the United Nations. The Security Council, as a key organ of the UN, cannot be excluded. In addition, this year's Council features a line-up of major players who fully recognise the importance of Security Council reform. Therefore, if we cannot make progress on Council reform even this year, when such stars are aligned, and with global governance as the theme of this session of the General Assembly, then the prospect of reform ever materialising seems distant indeed. We all need to dig deep to will this process forward, seek fresh impetus, as well as creative inspiration, and be open to new ideas. Let us not fail this Organisation, or ourselves.

5 Thank you.

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