00:00on the Elements paper that was circulated among the member states on the 10th of June,
00:04giving delegations two working days to respond.
00:07India fully aligns with the statements delivered by the PR of SVG on behalf of L69
00:13and the PR of Japan on behalf of G4.
00:16In addition, I'd like to deliver the following in my national capacity.
00:21India has taken note that the Elements paper is an assessment of the co-chairs.
00:25This implies that the characterization of IGN Dynamics in general
00:29and the five clusters in particular in the document
00:31is a reflection of the understanding and views of the co-chairs.
00:34In our view, it neither captures the overall state of play accurately
00:38nor accounts for the overwhelming sentiments of a majority of member states,
00:42not unlike similar Elements papers of the last two years at least.
00:45I'd like to make the following points against this backdrop.
00:48First, it's not clear what constitutes convergences and divergences.
00:52It's our understanding that a convergence is not the same as unanimity.
00:56If so, a convergence could operationally be considered as a majority view.
01:00However, the working principle in the Elements paper regarding convergences and divergences
01:04are different and ambiguous in subjective understanding and views of the co-chairs.
01:09Second, UNG Decision 62-557 clearly stipulates that the purpose behind the IGN is to garner a solution
01:18with the widest possible political acceptance based on proposals by member states.
01:23This foundational document of the IGN does not mention about or allude to bridging proposals.
01:29It has also been the firm established practice in the UN for the co-chairs or co-fax
01:33to propose bridging proposals after floating a text as part of text-based negotiations and not before.
01:40It would also be contextual to highlight that the Elements paper treats a reform of the Security Council
01:45as a member states-driven process.
01:48Therefore, proposals under the consideration of the IGN co-chairs must be based on models
01:53presented by member states and groups thus far, and not subjective understandings.
01:58Third, the Elements paper mentions that the permanent category would be expanded
02:03through the fixed regional seats proposal, which incredibly has only been documented
02:07in this Elements paper.
02:09It further adds that member states elected to such seats would serve in their national capacity
02:15and not formally represent their respective regions.
02:18These present three inherent issues.
02:20One, the proposal in no way expands a permanent category.
02:24Two, the concept of regionality would not be served if the concerned member states act
02:28in their national capacities.
02:30And three, it weakens the case of SIDS, a cross-regional group which India has been consistently
02:35supportive of.
02:36Further, this whole proposal is akin to granting a veto to the E-10, bereft of convoluted arguments
02:42of permanency.
02:43This proposal confuses veto power with permanency.
02:47Fourth, the Elements paper proposes further discussion and clarification on the concept of permanency.
02:54The UN Charter is very clear on this question, and there is no room for ambiguity.
02:58Article 23 clearly categorizes the UNSA members into two, permanent and non-permanent.
03:03Therefore, the definition of a permanency needs no further elaboration of classification as a divergence.
03:09Groups and member states, including the African group, the G4, and L69, treat a permanent member,
03:15serving or future, strictly in accordance with the provisions of the Charter.
03:19Further, on convergences under regional representation, there is no mention of the broad support for
03:24improving the representation of African group in the UN Security Council.
03:27The IGN meeting that focused on presentation of the African model had made the supportive views
03:32of all key stakeholders known.
03:34Fifth, as also highlighted in the past, support of a majority for expansion in the permanent category
03:40has been reduced to a significant number of delegations in the Elements paper.
03:45Despite the categorical position of a majority of member states in favor of expanding the permanent category,
03:51as reflected either in the national statements delivered at the IGN or through association with
03:56groups such as L69, G4, CARICOM, etc., this has not been depicted accurately.
04:01Sixth, reflecting expansion of the category of two-year term non-permanent category as a convergence
04:07portrays only a part of the picture.
04:10Groups and member states add qualifiers and attach other interlinked parameters as they
04:15endorse expansion in the non-permanent category.
04:17UNSC reform would be grossly inadequate, bordering on failure if expansion is limited only to the
04:24non-permanent category, as it would fundamentally not change the decision-making past structure
04:29of the P-5. Groups and member states have waited this long for real and meaningful reforms.
04:34Seventh, a nothing-is-agreed-until-everything-is-agreed approach must not become a tool to block progress.
04:40Status quoists have tried to use this argument in their favor and thereby entrench the existing
04:44inequities in the Security Council.
04:46Eighth, the General Assembly is a truly democratic principal organ of the UN.
04:51However, the Security Council is fundamentally different by its very design.
04:54By advocating expansion of the permanent category, India's consistent effort has been to bring
04:59in a greater sense of balance and equity in the Security Council and change the decision-making
05:05parameters of the P-5, while being mindful that the principle of sovereign equality of states
05:10would not be applicable in its entirety, unlike the UNGA, due to such foundational DNA enshrined
05:17in the Charter.
05:18Finally, IGN cannot be fundamentally different from other UN processes, wherein negotiations
05:24are held on the basis of a text.
05:26Groups and member states express their views on the text under consideration.
05:30Therefore, we urge the co-chairs to take the lead on formulating a text with clearly defined
05:35milestones and timelines, so that groups and member states could engage in a purposeful and
05:40outcome-oriented manner, and thereafter consider, if necessary and as appropriate, any bridging
05:46proposal.
05:46In closing, it is India's sincere hope that the co-chairs would suitably take into account
05:51our views and amend the elements paper suitably, in order to make it more objective.
05:55India would also like to reiterate that we will continue to support all earnest efforts
05:59by the co-chairs and other groups and member states towards achieving real reforms of the
06:03UN Security Council.
06:11You
