United Nations Security Council open debate on working methods

I thank Kuwait for convening this open debate and Ian Martin for briefing this morning. I thank Kuwait for convening this open debate and Ian Martin for briefing this morning. 

We all have a stake in this issue, because poor working methods can lead to poor outcomes.

While we welcome Note 507 as an important codification, it must be equally met with a change in Council culture. 

In this respect, I wish to make three points.

First, the Council’s working methods should operate to empower elected members to be fully involved in collective decision-making. 

The legitimacy and effectiveness of the Council’s decisions are maximised when it works as fifteen, rather than five.  

We welcome recent progress in ensuring that incoming elected members are better prepared for membership, however they still face significant disadvantages. 

Important decisions are sometimes negotiated without them; leaving elected members presented with last minute, take-it-or-leave it proposals with no realistic opportunity to participate. 

So-called “penholdership” can become distorted to exclude meaningful input from elected members. 

At the same time elected members should themselves be ambitious and enact the changed behaviour they wish to see in the Council. 

We encourage wider consideration as to whether any issues you face would benefit from elected members working more closely together.

For New Zealand one such example was working with four other elected Council members to draft and secure the unanimous adoption of resolution 2286 on Healthcare in Armed Conflict.

There are many other such examples to look to for inspiration.

Second, the Council’s working methods should operate to enable meaningful engagement with troop- and police- contributing countries. 

This is a problem which can be addressed, at least in part, by taking simple, practical steps.

During our Council term we initiated informal triangular consultations between the Council, the Secretariat and troop- and police- contributing countries. 

Informality does not come naturally to the UN; but our aim was to create space for a more fluid and timely exchange of information and perspectives. 

We welcome the Council’s pledge in revised Note 507 to continue, and develop, these informal consultations, and we look forward to them becoming more regularised.

Third, the Council’s working methods should operate to strengthen its capacity to prevent conflict.

For the Council to act early and prevent conflict, all Council members need to be well informed of developments and potential threats to peace and security. 

Key to this is strengthening the Council’s situational awareness.

Where issues are fast-moving, with competing accounts on the ground, the Secretariat can play an important role in providing authoritative information to Council members. 

Mr. President,

For the Council’s own legitimacy and effectiveness, it is in all our interests that its culture and behaviour reinforce this.

Shukran.