STATEMENT BY H.E. BURHAN GAFOOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF SINGAPORE TO THE UNITED NATIONS, ON “THE REPORT OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL” UNDER AGENDA ITEM 30, 11 JUNE 2021, NEW YORK

1                  I thank you, Mr President, for convening the meeting today. I also thank the President of the Security Council for the month of June, the Permanent Representative of Estonia, for presenting the report of the Security Council on behalf of all members of the Council.

Mr President,

2                 Today’s debate is an important exercise in accountability, transparency and legitimacy. The Security Council acts on behalf of all member states and therefore has the corresponding duty to report back to the General Assembly, as highlighted in Articles 15 and 24 of the UN Charter. As members of the General Assembly, we have the responsibility to carefully scrutinise the Council’s report and to engage in a serious discussion on the activities of the Council. This debate not only benefits members of the Security Council, it also benefits the wider membership. More importantly, this debate is an inclusive exercise that enhances the legitimacy of the work of the Security Council.

Mr President,

3                 Overall, the report this year is an improvement from previous years. We acknowledge the fact that members of the Security Council had to work under the constraints of COVID-19 health and safety measures. We also welcome the fact that members of the Security Council have made an effort to listen to the views of members of the General Assembly in the drafting of the report. Nevertheless, we have some comments on how we can further improve the content of the report.  

4                  First, it is important to assess not just what the Council has achieved in the year, but also what it has not been able to achieve. We welcome the fact that the introduction gives an overview on the number and type of Council products that were adopted. It is also good that the introduction includes mention of draft resolutions that were not adopted. This is a change that we welcome. Nevertheless, we suggest that the annual report should give more details on why draft resolutions were not adopted, including the total number of times the veto was exercised. For example, the veto was exercised on three draft resolutions last year, and this is not mentioned in the report directly. The report should give a summary of the votes cast and vetoes used throughout the year. The veto is a special privilege, and it must be wielded with special responsibilities, including accountability. The idea behind my comment is not to criticise members of the Council. Instead, it is to provide greater transparency on the challenges faced, such that the Council and the wider membership can work together on difficult issues with a view to finding convergence.

5                  Second, the report should give more details on discussions related to improvements to the working methods of the Council. We recognise that the immediate priority last year was to adapt the Council’s working methods for COVID-19. We look forward to more updates from the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions, and we look forward to the open debate on working methods which is scheduled next week. Last year in September, my delegation wrote to the Chair of the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions, namely the Ambassador of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, to offer our views on working methods. We would like to encourage all members of the General Assembly to similarly consider writing to the Chair of the Informal Working Group to offer their views and suggestions, and of course to also participate in the forthcoming open debate.

Mr President,

6                 I now turn to the process of considering the report in the General Assembly. Here too, I am pleased to note progress on several issues.

7                 First, I would like to commend the drafters of the report, in particular the Permanent Mission of Niger and also the Permanent Mission of China, for preparing the report earlier this year. We are heartened that the report was adopted before 30 May, in accordance with the timeline stipulated in Presidential Note S/2019/997. As this is the first year for the new timeline to take effect, it is extremely important for the Council to have adhered to it, to demonstrate the Council’s seriousness in abiding with its own recommendations. We hope that the Council will continue to adhere to the timeline and demonstrate consistency.

8                Second, it is good that this debate is being held earlier in the year, instead of in August or September as in previous years. Indeed, Presidential Note S/2019/997 states that the consideration of the report by the General Assembly should occur “immediately thereafter” the adoption of the report by 30 May. We welcome your initiative, Mr President, to schedule the debate earlier this year, and we hope your successors in future years will make this schedule a regular and predictable one.

9                Third, I would like to comment on the monthly assessment reports. As I have mentioned in previous years, these reports should not be taken as a mechanical exercise. We are therefore encouraged that nearly all Security Council members had submitted their monthly assessment reports for 2020, thereby reversing the recent trend of non-submission. It is important that all members of the Security Council, including those who are to be elected today, take this responsibility seriously because we will be monitoring your performance as well. We hope that Security Council members will continue to take the submission of these monthly reports in a serious manner.

10                Fourth, there remains a lack of effort at wider consultations in the preparation of the annual report. Paragraph 129 of Note 507 states that the drafter of the report, and I quote, “may consider organising, where appropriate, interactive informal exchanges of views with the wider membership”. However, we are not aware of any informal exchange of views with the wider membership on the annual report. There also appears to be a lack of engagement on the report even within the Council and among members of the Council. The only time that all 15 Council members made interventions during the adoption of the report was in 2002. We propose that there should be a discussion of the report in an open setting within the Council before the annual report is adopted. We also strongly recommend that the Council organise an informal dialogue with the wider membership before finalising the report. We believe that such consultations can only have positive effects by enhancing the transparency and legitimacy of the working methods of the Council. We do not believe there is any reason to fear that wider consultations could lead to anything negative. We hope that newly elected members will also look at these issues, and support efforts to improve the working methods of the Council. This is because the working methods of the Council are a means to enhance the transparency of the Council.

Mr President,

11                Let me conclude by saying that the submission of the annual report of the Security Council and its consideration by the General Assembly is an important exercise in transparency and accountability. We acknowledge and welcome the improvements made, and hope that this will become regular practice. We also hope that the Council will build on the improvements made and make further improvements to its methods of work and to the annual report.

12               I thank you for your attention.

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