He explained that an open-ended working group on Security Council reform had been set up in 1993 within the General Assembly with the task of coming up with ideas for change. But the reform process was stalled until March 1997, when Malaysia's Ismail Razali, then President of the General Assembly, placed a high priority on renewed action. Under international law, the Council is responsible for maintaining global peace and safety. Its decisions are binding on all countries and can be enforced by military means. He pointed out that the debate has even come close to slipping into an open confrontation between competing sides.
Japan is the most likely candidate for new permanent membership.
Its financial contribution to the UN regular budget for 1998 is set at just under 20 per cent of the total, second in amount only to the United States. And because Japan has been a prominent member of the UN, it is difficult for other countries to object openly to its bid for membership. For its part, Japan is worried that momentum for change might be lost if discussions drag on. Mr. Udovenko also voiced concern about the dilatory approach taken by the working group. He said that although the group's deliberations have improved the efficiency and transparency of the Security Council's activities, no answer to the problem of overhauling its membership has yet been found.