New York: The L69 grouping of developing countries, in a meeting hosted by India, has given a renewed call for the reform of the UN Security Council, with the inclusion of both more permanent and non-permanent members in the council.
It has also expressed the hope that Intergovernmental Negotiation (IGN) process, which is where the issue of reform is being discussed among all member states, will deliver a “single consolidated text” which can then serve as the basis for moving towards “concrete outcomes within a fixed timeframe”.
L69 is a grouping that includes countries from Africa, Latin America, Caribbean, Pacific Island states and Asia. In 2007-08, the group had tabled a document – L69 - which kickstarted the IGN process. Representatives of the member countries of the group participated in a ministerial meeting at the permanent mission of India in New York. In a joint press statement, the group said today’s complex and interconnected challenges highlighted the urgency of reforming UNSC to “better reflect contemporary geopolitical realities, and to enhance its legitimacy, effectiveness, and implementation of its decisions”.
The group also reaffirmed that expansion of the Council, in both permanent and non-permanent categories of membership, was “essential to make the body more representative, legitimate, and effective”.