UNITED NATIONS (National Times) – Pakistan urged the UN Security Council to “seriously consider” ways to implement its resolutions, especially on long-standing disputes like Jammu and Kashmir, while stressing that the 15-member body must become more transparent, accountable, inclusive and democratic to respond to the growing challenges.
“Nothing undermines the credibility of the Council more than ‘selective’ implementation, and non implementation, of its resolutions,” Ambassador Aamir Khan, the acting permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, said in a debate on the Security Council’s working methods.
“Failure to enforce its own resolutions undermines the credibility of the Security Council and erodes the commitment of States and peoples to the principles of the UN Charter and the pacific settlement of disputes,” he told the Council.
In this regard, Ambassador Aamir Khan hoped for an early consensus through the General Assembly’s Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) process on a comprehensive reform of the Security Council, and called, in the meantime, for improvement in its working methods.
“The Council’s Working Methods and practice in recent years have evolved in a direction that does not meet the expectations of the international community and the general UN membership,” he said.
Too much of the Council’s work takes place in informal meetings behind closed doors, the Pakistani envoy said, stressing the need for its enhanced engagement with the wider UN membership, adding that closed meetings should be kept to a minimum.
“We all have an equal stake in the maintenance of international peace and security,” he said, regretting that the open nature of Council work has eroded, especially since the end of the cold war.
“Meaningful participation of states with a legitimate stake in the Council’s deliberations should be ensured throughout the decision-making process.”
Further, Ambassador Aamir Khan said there was a growing dissatisfaction with the elitist nature of the Council and frustration with its use of the veto.
“It is this reality which reinforces the belief of Pakistan and the Uniting for Consensus (UfC) Group, that the reform and effectiveness of the Security Council cannot be achieved by seating additional permanent members on the Council but by enhancing its representation, openness and inclusive decision-making through the expansion and empowerment of additional ‘elected’ non-permanent members.”
The Security Council’s relationship with the General Assembly and the UN Economic and Social Council should also be brought into conformity with the letter and spirit of the UN Charter, Ambassador Aamir Khan said.
