UN General Assembly
2015

The United Nations is not perfect. I would like, however, to compliment Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the determination with which he has approached the Organization’s shortcomings. There is important work under way to revitalize the General Assembly. Iceland welcomes resolution 69/321 on that topic, in particular with regard to the appointment of the Secretary-General. After a succession of eight men in the position of Secretary-General, it is high time for qualified female candidates to be seriously considered for that most important international position. The same applies to the position of the President of the General Assembly. The gender imbalance in high-level positions must be addressed if we wish to strengthen the credibility of the United Nations. Iceland has long supported an expansion in the permanent and non-permanent seats in the Security Council. It is a difficult process, but we cannot ignore the current increasingly indefensible situation, in which the Security Council represents the world as it was in 1945. The danger is that its authority will gradually be undermined if it does not better reflect the world as it is.