Mr. Chairman,
in some isolated remarks I have heard this afternoon I have regrettably found a tone of sharp confrontation which I believe is unhelpful and counterproductive for a negotiation based on the spirit of compromise. The spirit, Mr. Chairman, that you have advocated so often and also at the beginning of this third session. We have been reminded today, by a leading voice of the G4 and of the L69 Group, of a great Country which has invented the zero. We should be careful in not ending up in a zero sum game. We have been told, once again, that only the fact of objecting to the G4 model, which is the creation of 4 + 2 permanent members, plus 4 non permanent, means to be on the “wrong side of history”, to be against the reform of the Security Council.  First of all it is totally unclear how the 4 + 2 national permanent members should be selected. The G4 assume that the 4 seats are for themselves, with no clarification on criteria. And total obscurity remains on their recognition for the 2 permanent members for Africa. Should they be selected by Africa itself? By the General Assembly? Should they represent Africa as a region, or should they be appointed purely in their national capacity? How can we say that there is a model in this total lack of clarity on permanent membership? I am surprised by the recurrent threat of having a straw poll. What is this procedure? If the G4 are supported by 180 Countries with only 12 against, why the “great pretenders” have been waiting the last 15 years without putting a Resolution to a vote? The truth is, Mr. Chairman, that the formula of “both categories” and the idea of a framework document or Resolution containing this idea are nothing else but a “smoke screen”, which wants to pretend that a majority exist in the General Assembly on a model of reform. But behind the screen we all know that the issues of size, regional representation, veto, accountability are all opened. And without an agreement in all these issues the loudspeakers turned on the existence of a common denominator are just noise with little substance. Thank you Mr. Chairman