Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) on Security Council reform

Statement by H.E. Mr. Olivier Maes

Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg
on behalf of the Benelux countries (Belgium, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Luxembourg)
New York, 27 February 2025

Cluster discussion on working methods

Excellencies, Co-Chairs,

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the Benelux countries, Belgium, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and my own country, Luxembourg.

For today’s meeting of the IGN, you have asked us to focus on working methods. The topic of working methods is vast and constantly evolving. If we look back at decision 62/557 of 15 September 2008, the foundational decision by which the General Assembly decided to commence intergovernmental negotiations, we see that the five key issues on which the IGN are based do not include working methods as a standalone issue. Rather, decision 62/557 mentions as the fourth key issue the following, I quote: “size of an enlarged Security Council and working methods of the Council”, unquote. In our view, this clearly signifies that, while the working methods of the Security Council can be continuously improved without structural reform of the Council, the IGN on Security Council reform should focus on the adaptation of the Council’s working methods that are needed to accommodate an expanded membership of the Council.

Such an understanding should allow us to focus our discussion in the IGN. We should not duplicate discussions held elsewhere on the continuous improvement of the Council’s working methods and the implementation of Note 507 by the President of the Security Council, the most recent edition of which was adopted in December 2024.

Co-Chairs,

The most recent Co-Chairs’ Elements Paper you have circulated on 29 April 2024 shows that there is a very high degree of convergence when it comes to adapting the Council’s working methods to the size of an enlarged Council. Building on these commonalities, we can make concrete progress toward a more representative and effective Security Council.

The Benelux countries in particular support the need to adjust the required number of affirmative votes required for decisions by the Security Council in line with the current practice or ratio.

We also support the idea that the Security Council, in light of the increase in its membership, should be invited to consider measures to ensure the full and equitable participation of all members of the Security Council in its work, with a special emphasis on encouraging greater participation and responsibilities of non-permanent members, including the opportunity to serve as penholders and to hold the presidency of the enlarged Security Council at least once during their tenure.

Co-Chairs, colleagues,

By adopting the Pact for the Future, we agreed on all the guiding principles of Security Council reform, including on the principle that the total number of members of an enlarged Council should ensure a balance between its representativeness and effectiveness (action 39 e), and on the principle that the working methods should ensure the inclusive, transparent, efficient, effective, democratic and accountable functioning of an enlarged Council (action 39 f).

Based on the Pact for the Future and the clear convergences identified in the Co-Chairs’ Elements Paper, the Benelux countries believe that the next logical step is to move towards text-based negotiations, ensuring that our discussions don’t go around in circles, but translate into concrete outcomes.

This year, we will mark the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, at a time when multilateralism is increasingly challenged. We should seize this opportunity to make progress in the IGN on Security Council reform. We should move from general discussions of the five key issues identified in decision 62/557, which have been thoroughly debated over the last 16 years, to detailed discussions on specific models for Council reform. And, as we have agreed in the Pact for the Future, we should develop a consolidated model that will lead us to a reformed Security Council, a Council that is more representative, inclusive, transparent, efficient, effective, democratic and accountable to the wider membership.

Thank you.