8 December 2008

The Open-ended Working Group on Security Council reform met on Friday in the first of three scheduled meetings on the framework and modalities of the upcoming intergovernmental negotiations. Some 30 Member States spoke during the meeting, with a portion arguing that framework and modalities had to be agreed upon before embarking on further negotiations, while others claimed that the rules of procedure of the General Assembly would suffice as a general framework.

The meeting had been announced by the President of the General Assembly, Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann, in a letter of 21 November 2008. During the all-day meeting, statements delivered largely fell into three main categories:

• The Uniting for Consensus faction argued that a specific framework for the upcoming intergovernmental negotiations would have to be agreed upon by all Member States before embarking on further negotiations. In this regard, Spain and Argentina presented a proposal, which was backed, among others, by Turkey, Italy, Canada and Pakistan.
• The countries in the Group of Four (Germany, Brazil, India and Japan) argued in turn that the rules of procedure of the General Assembly could serve as framework.
• The African group reiterated their support of their Ezulwini proposal, which would give Africa two permanent seats with the right of veto as well as five non-permanent seats.

No decision was made on Friday. The next meeting on modalities is scheduled for 19 January 2008.