FM meets with UN officials on Security Council reform

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with the co-chairs for the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council Reform of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly via video on Tuesday, calling them to push forward stable and sound reform of the Security Council in the right direction.

Co-chairs were Alya Ahmed Saif Al-Thani, permanent representative of Qatar to the UN and Martin Bille Hermann, permanent representative of Denmark to the UN.

Wang said the Security Council, as the core of the collective security mechanism, needed to improve its authority and efficiency through reform and better discharge the duties entrusted to it by the UN Charter.

China has always supported the Security Council to conduct reasonable and necessary reform and made constructive efforts in this endeavor, he added.

Wang said the priority of Council reform lies in increasing representation and say of developing countries and ensure more countries, especially small and medium-sized ones, to have more opportunities to be involved in decision-making, adding it is the original intention as well as the direction of reform.

Noting reform is a systemic project, Wang stressed reform requires a package solution striking a proper balance among the five major issues involved.

With intergovernmental negotiation as the main channel, Wang suggested the reform should build consensus, be led by and reflect the consensus of member states. The results should be acceptable to member states, he added.

Wang said he hoped the two co-chairs could proceed from long-term development of the UN and shared interests of all member states to guide all parties to enhance understanding of each other's positions.

Al-Thani and Hermann appreciated China's efforts in safeguarding multilateralism and bolstering the UN's role and congratulated China for the complete success of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Noting reform of the Security Council is sensitive and complex, they vowed they would continue to make sure it is led by and fully heed advice from member states, and strive to seek to expand consensus and reduce differences.

They also expressed willingness to work with member states to strengthen communication and coordination so as to advance the steady process of reform of the Security Council.