On 23 June 2011, The Center for UN Reform Education held a panel discussion on “Improving the Working Methods of the Security Council”. The basis for the discussion was the most recent version of the S5 draft proposal on Reforming the Working Methods of the Security Council.
The S5 that consists of Jordan, Costa Rica, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Singapore was represented on the panel by Ambassador Christian Wenaweser of Liechtenstein. Wenaweser was joined for the discussion by James Paul, Executive Director of Global Policy Forum and Colin Keating, Executive Director of Security Council Report. The discussion was moderated by the President of the Center, William Pace.

The panelists discussed the possibilities for, and the necessity of, improving the working methods of the Security Council. All three panelists agreed that reforming the working methods of the Council is an urgent and crucial matter – and that it needs to be dealt with whether or not the Member States can agree on the issue of the expansion of the Security Council (read the Center’s latest update on the Security Council Reform here).
The Council, though, is not likely to change on its own and it is therefore necessary that push for reform comes from the outside and also from more than one side. Panelist Colin Keating said that there is a need for someone to “rock the boat” in order to make the Security Council change the way it works.
The S5 draft proposal on improving the working methods of the Security Council is exactly such an important attempt to “rock the boat”, and both Colin Keating and James Paul praised the S5 for providing important stimulus to the effort of forcing the Council to reform itself.

The panel discussion that was held in connection with the annual Board Meeting of the Center, was attended by a wide range of NGOs, delegates and others – among them CURE Board Member organizations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation as well as delegates from the UN Mission of Kenya, Italy and Mexico.