Mr. Chairman,

 

My delegation appreciates this opportunity to express the views of the Marshall Islands on Cluster Four issues, regarding strengthening the United Nations. We fully support the Secretary-General in his efforts to reform the internal structures of the UN in order to make it more effective in meeting the range of pressing challenges confronting the international community today. We hope that Member States will seize this opportunity to make some bold decisions that will genuinely revitalize the UN system.

 

The Marshall Islands welcomes the range of proposals that have been suggested by the Secretary-General, and we wish to make comments on a few specific issues.

 

General Assembly revitalization:

 

It is essential that we take practical steps to reaffirm the authority of the General Assembly, and to restore it as the primary deliberative organ of the UN, as envisioned in the Charter. We agree with the Secretary-General that the Assembly must be revitalized through the adoption of comprehensive reforms, including rationalizing the methods of work and procedures for debates; streamlining the agenda and the committee structure; and strengthening the role of the General Assembly President.

 

Security Council reform:

 

The Marshall Islands government has long advocated for reform of both the working methods and membership of the Security Council. We completely agree with the Secretary-General that reform and enlargement of the Council are necessary in order to make it more representative of the international community - especially of developing countries - and more representative of the geopolitical realities of the world today.

 

My delegation has previously expressed support for expansion of the Council along the lines of the proposal set out in Model A. We believe that the Council should be enlarged in both categories of membership, and it seems to us that a clear majority of UN Member States agree with this proposition.

 

The current permanent membership does not include all regions, and the three main regions of the South - Asia, Africa and Latin America - are grossly under-represented, with Africa and Latin America having no permanent representation at all. In our view, the expansion of the permanent membership is a must, in order to provide for more equitable geographic representation and increased representation for developing countries. It must also reflect the reality of today’s geopolitical landscape. In this regard, the Marshall Islands reiterates its support for the allocation of a permanent seat to Japan.

 

With regard to the principles that should shape the Council’s reform, we support the criteria laid out by the Secretary-General. In particular, the Council should increase the effective participation of the leading contributors to international peace and security, and those who contribute most to the UN – not only financially and militarily, but also diplomatically.

 

My delegation agrees with the Secretary-General’s call for Member States to take a decision on this issue before the Summit. We recognize the need to strive for agreement based on a broad consensus. However, given that this issue has been extensively debated for more than a decade, an inability to reach consensus should not be used as an excuse to postpone action.

 

Reform of ECOSOC:

 

The Marshall Islands welcomes the Secretary-General’s proposals to strengthen the role of ECOSOC, including through assessing progress towards agreed development goals, and serving as a high level development cooperation forum. We also agree that ECOSOC should convene when necessary in response to major natural disasters and other threats to development.

 

The Summit should also address the need to enhance the role of ECOSOC in considering global policies regarding trade, finance and technology. The current efforts of developing countries towards growth and development are being constrained by existing policies in these areas. Therefore, it is essential that we increase opportunities for developing countries to actively participate in decision making and policy formation at the global level.

 

Human Rights Council:

 

The Secretary-General’s proposal to establish a Human Rights Council is an interesting one, and we were pleased to receive the recent explanatory note setting out further details. We agree that the UN’s human rights machinery is in need of reform, and we support establishing a standing body that would be elected by a two-thirds majority of the General Assembly. We look forward to further discussions regarding this proposal, in particular on the functions and composition of the Council. It is important to keep in mind the aim of avoiding the politicization and double-standards that have plagued the Commission on Human Rights. All Member States should be willing to participate in a process of peer review, and equally, all Member States should have the opportunity to be represented on the Council.

 

Mr. Chairman, these are the preliminary views of my delegation on a few issues of particular concern. We look forward to working with you and your co-facilitators in this ongoing process.

 

Thank you.