India has said about the lack of progress in the Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN), an intra-UN mechanism under which discussions on the expansion of Security Council membership has been taking place.
The comments were made as the UN General Assembly decided to “roll over” the IGN process to the 78th session which will commence in September.
New Delhi’s envoy to UN, Ruchira Kamboj, described the formality as another “wasted opportunity to instill a breath of life into a process that has shown no signs of life”.
“…Without application of the General Assembly (GA) Rules of Procedure, and without a single negotiating text - the IGN could well go on for yet another 75 years without any progress whatsoever in the direction of genuine reform,” she said during a debate on the “increase in the membership of the Security Council”.
Kamboj said that there had not been any “breakthrough” in the overall negotiation process, despite the General Assembly president stating during the debate that “measurable progress” has been achieved in taking the deliberations on reforms forward.
“This state of affairs is clearly in the interest of those who seek a status quo, to keep this process frozen in repetitive cycles,” she stated.
Kamboj underlined that New Delhi along with other “reform-minded partners” would continue to persist with efforts to “move from repetitive speeches to text-based negotiations”.
“However, for those of us who truly wish to fulfill our leaders’ commitment towards an early and comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council, looking beyond the IGN looks increasingly to us as the only viable pathway to a future UN Security Council that would better reflect the world of today,” the Indian diplomat emphasized.
Member States Infuse ‘New Life’ in IGN
Csaba Korosi, the President of the 77th session of the General Assembly, commended the member states for instilling “new life” in the IGN process.
“After so many years, we have seen positive momentum in this session. Measurable progress has been achieved,” he said.
Korosi underlined that the first segments of the IGN meetings were being broadcast from this year onwards, which has happened for the first time in history.
“Moreover, a dedicated website on Security Council reform has been established as a repository for the IGN process,” he outlined.
He, however, stopped short of hailing these ideas as “decisive breakthroughs”, stating that it was the member states who were ultimately driving these talks.
“True political commitments are key to rebuilding trust and reviving the spirit of cooperation in the UN and beyond…We do not have the luxury to spend another 17 years on this issue,” Korosi stated.