Mr. President,

Thank you for convening this meeting.

At the outset, I wish to thank the IGN co-chairs of the last GA session Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh of UAE and Ambassador Christian Braun of Luxembourg for advancing Security Council reform. Indeed, through their excellent facilitation, member states had in-depth discussions on the five clusters of issues concerning Security Council reform, which helped them increase mutual understanding and common ground, and consolidate the principle of increasing representation and voice of developing countries, especially African countries. China appreciates that.

Mr. President,

The year 2020 marks the 75th years anniversary of the founding of the UN and the end of WWII. The UN, a major outcome of WWII, came after the fight against fascism in which so many people made the ultimate sacrifice. As the core of the international collective security mechanism, the Security Council has played an irreplaceable role in maintaining international peace and security and in preventing another world war. We must learn from history and war and reflect on the causes of war, support the status and role of the UN and uphold the core values of the UN Charter to shape a better future free from the scourge of war for generations to come.

The world today is undergoing changes unseen in a century, with the collective rise of developing countries being the defining feature. China supports reasonable and necessary reform of the Security Council to meet the needs of the times. Priority should be given to increasing representation and say of developing countries, especially African countries. Most of the UN members are small and medium sized countries. However, till now, 63 countries have never made their way to the Security Council. Some of the small and medium sized countries get a seat at the Council every 40 to 50 years. This is regrettable and unfair. Reform must increase the opportunities for the small and medium sized countries to sit in the Council and participate in its decision-making process. This is the only way to make the Council more democratic, transparent and efficient.

Multilateralism is under attack. The most needed for the UN is unity and cooperation. Security Council reform concerns the vital interests of all UN member states and the future of the UN, and will lead to major adjustment of the global governance system and international order. In-depth communication and democratic consultation is needed to find a package solution that accommodates interests and concerns of all parties and enjoys the widest possible political consensus and receives the support of all member states.

The IGN is the only legitimate platform for discussion among member states on Security Council reform. We hope that IGN of the current GA session will keep to the right track of being membership driven and carry out in-depth discussion on the five clusters of issues through informal plenary sessions. Currently, the parties have serious disagreements on the general direction and approach of reform. This said, rushing into text-based negotiation, setting artificial timeline, or even trying to force through any premature reform proposal would do no good to the sound development of the reform process. That would only aggravate division, and cause conflict or even confrontation. China is opposed to such attempts. The process of reform, if not handled properly, will not make any progress. Instead, it could jeopardize the consensus already reached and undermine the interests of all member states, and still less would it address the underrepresentation of developing countries in the Security Council. That is not what we want to see.

Mr. President,

China expects the PGA to appoint experienced candidates with just and objective perspectives to serve as co-chairs of the IGN, and will support the co-chairs in doing their work under your guidance within the mandate of GA decision 62/557, listening to and showing respect for the views of member states and serving to bridge differences and facilitate agreement among member states.

China calls upon all member states to demonstrate political will, engage in IGN during this GA session actively and constructively and work towards the widest possible consensus. China is ready to work with all parties to take the reform in a direction that serves the fundamental interests of all member states and the long-term interests of the UN.