the president As the Chair of the Informal Working Group, I would like to thank Albania for their exemplary management of this crucial subject. I also want to thank our briefers for their insights into how the Council operates.
President, it is encouraging that we are returning to full involvement in public discussions like this as we leave the Covid virtual working techniques and keep in touch with the larger UN membership.
And although we did well throughout the era of virtual working, I agree with my Russian colleague, my US colleague, and others who remark that we genuinely value in-person meetings. However, there is still work to be done to maintain the Council’s effectiveness and efficiency.
Our goal is still for the Council to be able to reach decisions that actually affect people’s lives through consensus-building, active discussion, and responsible pen-holding.
Sometimes that means having a private conversation rather than a public one, and we anticipate a full return to the consultation room.
Pen holding has a well-established norm that supports uniformity. However, as we have observed and heard, it is a flexible approach that the UK has shared with Germany on UNITAMS and is currently doing so with Gabon on UNOCA.
It entails being receptive to avoid confrontation or stop its escalation and talking about difficulties, even if it makes some uncomfortable. However, it is the duty of every Council member to maintain the UN Charter.
We co-sponsored the GA resolution 76/262 on the veto, which is a positive step toward guaranteeing transparency and accountability when a Council member refuses to take action to uphold international peace and security, as we saw with the DPRK.
President, we also need to do more to make sure we are making the best use of the Council’s time. That entails abiding by the Council’s charter and not abusing it to spread false information and propaganda.
Sadly, ever since its illegal invasion of Ukraine, Russia has regularly done just that. Even as its missiles continue to fall on civilian targets, it continues to deny that this is a war.
Over the claims made by the Russian Federation regarding our pen-holding on Libya, I made it clear in the Council yesterday that our national position—which is held by many others—is that the Wagner Group’s mercenaries must leave the country in order for Libya to advance.
And on Yemen, I would just like to mention that the hard-won ceasefire is still in effect. This is one issue on which we have achieved progress this year, ever since the year’s beginning.
President, let’s look at the UN’s foundational principles if we’re going to talk about procedure today.
Regrettably, the invasion of a sovereign neighbor by a permanent member poses the biggest threat to this Council’s ability to function. The Council’s concerns are spread throughout a wide range of global issues, which have significant effects.
We will undoubtedly hear from Member States today regarding their worries regarding the Council’s dissent. Adjusting working procedures won’t fix this problem; instead, Russia’s illegal war must halt.