|
|
UN Reform Quotes from GA President Srgjan Kerim
18 March 2008 “…the beginning of the Capital Master Plan to renovate the UN building should signal that it is time to renovate our mindset as well…Security Council reform also remains high on the agenda. There is widespread recognition that the status quo is not acceptable…System-wide Coherence is another process which demands attention. The UN has grown in size and scope, and often the UN will have many different agencies and programmes in one country…” 7 February 2008 “In the months to come, we have an opportunity to reassert the role of the General Assembly in strengthening the United Nations system for the benefit of all.” 31 January 2008 “United Nations reform is our fifth priority. By making timely and concrete progress we can also enhance the role of the General Assembly in strengthening the UN system as the fundamental framework of international cooperation. Reform is never easy. It requires sacrifice, foresight and leadership.” “May I take this opportunity to thank the Member States of the African Union for demonstrating these qualities to enable progress on management reform and coherence across the UN system. In particular, we look to your leadership for a way forward on the pressing need to make progress on Security Council reform, including intergovernmental negotiations.” Kerim’s message to the 10th Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union 11 January 2008 “This is the best way to promote more effective multilateralism, as you mentioned in your statement, deepen our cooperation and demonstrate our leadership on complex issues, including, the ongoing reform of this august organisation.” “May I take this opportunity to call for the Groups active participation at the Thematic Debates on: …Management Reform on the 8th and 9th of April, where in an informal setting Member States will have the opportunity to reach a clearer common understanding of the key concepts and priorities for strengthening the management of the organisation.” Kerim’s statement at the handover ceremony of the Chairmanship of the Group of 77 21 December 2007 “We should therefore replace the agenda item “GA revitalization” with the notion of the Assembly’s role in ‘strengthening the United Nations system.” “…in our efforts to renew the management, effectiveness and coherence of this organisation we will press ahead with the Mandate Review process to streamline our work; hold a plenary meeting on the 8th of April to consider proposals on the way forward on Management reform; and, begin consultations on System-wide Coherence to assess progress already achieved at the country level with a view to achieve greater effectiveness and coherence...” “On Security Council reform you have agreed to move forward on the basis of a principled framework, and working with the Task Force have begun to identify elements that can form thebasis of intergovernmental negotiations.” 14 December 2007 “Allow me please at this point to recount the agreements that have been reached so far on Security Council reform: GA resolution 48/26 established the OEWG to consider all issues related to Security Council reform; GA resolution 53/50 determined that any resolution or decision related to Security Council reform be adopted by two-third majority…” “…we must bear in mind that Security Council Reform is an integral part of strengthening the UN. It must therefore go hand in hand with the transformation of the wider United Nations system… further steps must contain components and notions that will allow the Membership to reach a general agreement on all aspects of Security Council reform…” “…the reform of the Security Council must accommodate the interests and concerns of all sides, especially those who are currently underrepresented…” “May I ask all Member States to extend your full cooperation and support to all the members of the Task Force on Security Council reform.” 13 December 2007 26 November 2007 “Our leaders have called for a stronger United Nations. Could we not instead call this exercise ‘the role of the General Assembly in strengthening the United Nations system’?” “I would like to call on all Member States to continue to work together in this manner - enthusiastically and in cooperation – as we have also done on mandate Review, so that we can make progress on other important issues such as climate change, the MDGs, Security Council and Management reform. This means that on System-wide Coherence for example, the practical success of the ‘pilot’ countries at the country level should sway the opinion of the Assembly in New York, rather than the other way around.” 14 November 2007 “I am particularly pleased to be able to state that we have had a very profound, above all comprehensive and fruitful discussion on the Security Council reform under agenda item 122. t was a frank and effective dialogue, which provided valuable inputs for further deliberations of the General Assembly on this very important aspect of the United Nations overall reform agenda. It fully endorsed the notion that the reform of the United Nations system is one of the priority issues for the 62nd session of the General Assembly.” “May I also dare to say, that the debate demonstrated the clear commitment of Member States to embark upon a new stage that offers the prospect of achieving the ultimate goal of comprehensive reform of the Security Council… First, we must bear in mind that Security Council Reform is an integral part of strengthening the UN. It must therefore go hand in hand with the transformation of the wider United Nations system;” “…Sixth, the reform of the Security Council must accommodate the interests and concerns of all sides, especially those who are currently underrepresented…” 12 November 2007 “At the 2005 Summit, world leaders recognized the importance of making progress on Security Council reform as an essential element of our overall efforts to reform the United Nations. They committed to support early reform of the Council in order to make it more representative, efficient and transparent, and to further enhance its effectiveness and the legitimacy of its decisions.” “In her speech to the General Assembly on December 11 2006, President Al-Khalifa urged the membership to take a fresh and open minded approach to the issue of Security Council reform… Through these efforts Member States have reached a new stage that offers the prospect of achieving the goal of comprehensive reform of the Security Council… We must bear in mind that Security Council reform is an integral part of strengthening the United Nations.” 9 November 2007 “During the 62nd Session, we should ensure that existing General Assembly reform processes are advancing on the right track and that outstanding reform commitments are moving forward. We should bear in mind that our common goal is to strengthen the United Nations so that it can better deliver its programmes and mandates for the benefit of all. In this regard, I have encouraged Member States to build on the discussions and progress achieved during the 61st Session, in the area of System-wide Coherence, including Gender Architecture, Security Council Reform, International Environmental Governance and Mandate Review.”Kerim’s statement at an Informal Briefing for NGOs on the work of the General Assembly 25 October 2007 “As President of the General Assembly I recognize that reform is essential to the credibility of the organization: that the General Assembly – as the forum of all Member States -- must take the initiative and strengthen its central position in the multilateral system, and, that the management, effectiveness and coherence of the UN system must be improved, including reforming the Security Council.” 19 October 2007 3 October, 2007 “On the eve of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights many of you reaffirmed the importance of the promotion and protection of human rights for all. While some addressed the shortcomings of the Human Rights Council, others also called for its strengthening in order to live up to its full potential.” “There is overall agreement that we could make faster progress on all these issues, if our multilateral institutions better reflected contemporary realities: underlining the need for better progress on United Nations reform…There was wide-ranging support for concrete results on Security Council reform, including through intergovernmental negotiations.” 28 September 2007 25 September 2007 “To revitalize this House is also to renew our faith in each other, and this organization’s cherished values.” 18 September 2007 “… We also need the courage to move to a new stage leading to concrete results on Security Council reform” 24 August 2007 “The revitalization of the General Assembly has been an on-going process since 1991. The aim of the process is to enhance its role and authority as well as effectiveness and efficiency. Some of the revitalization issues are also related to further improving its working methods and procedures, streamlining its agenda and strengthening its technical support. Further, the repeated demands for an enhancement of the General Assembly’s role has to do with a growing sentiment among its membership of an “encroachment” of its responsibilities by the Security Council.” “The reform of the Security Council is an essential but also extremely complex area of reform. While there is no consensus on the various formulas that have been put forward as to how to change the present composition, there is an agreement that reform of the Security Council is essential for making its decisions more legitimate and representative of the geopolitical realities of today’s world.” “Management reform is in the best interest of all.” 24 May 2007 “A credible reform plan must not be the plan of a past generation: international governance of the environment should follow the pattern of the democratic spirit that underlies the mission of the General Assembly.” “If the United Nations is going to make its full contribution and better serve the needs of developing countries, greater system-wide coordination and coherence will be necessary… and defining further concrete steps towards a reformed Security Council—a vital aspect of the overall United Nations reform agenda.” |
To SubscribeIf you are interested in receiving UN Reform Watches, Interviews and Fifth Committee Reports email us at: subscribe@ centerforunreform.org |
