UN General Assembly
1998

With regard to the particular issue of the reform and democratization of the Security Council — a subject to which my country, being one of the original sponsors of the relevant resolution, attaches great importance — I am disheartened to note that no tangible substantive progress has been made five years after the creation of the Open- ended Working Group on the subject. We note here again that mistrust and suspicion among States thwarted any visible movement towards a successful outcome. Yet the status quo is not in the best interest of the general membership of the United Nations. Surely, the Council needs to be restructured, its membership expanded in both the permanent and non-permanent categories and its working methods, decision-making methods and decision- making processes improved. This is the path towards the democratization of the Council, which will thereby enhance the legitimacy and effectiveness of its decisions on critical issues of global peace and security. My delegation is also of the strong view that the reform of the Security Council must also touch on the