UN Security Council reform negotiations should continue to be led by member states: Chinese envoy

UNITED NATIONS - The Inter-Government Negotiations of the UN Security Council reform, or IGN, should continue to be led by UN member states, said a Chinese envoy to the United Nations Wednesday.

The UN General Assembly adopted a brief and technical decision to roll the IGN process over to the next session in a plenary meeting.

"The IGN should uphold the ownership and leadership of the member states and be based on the positions, proposals and suggestions and ideas of the entire membership," said Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the UN, after the decision was adopted at the meeting.

Since 2009, IGN has in general followed the UN membership-led principle. However, there have also been some missteps, Liu said.

The envoy said that during the current General Assembly session, the member states conducted "candid and in-depth" discussion on the five categories of issues concerning Security Council reform. "The IGN has returned to the right track of UN membership ownership and leadership," Liu added.

China welcomes the positive efforts made by General Assembly president Mogens Lykketoft and Luxembourg's envoy to the UN, Sylvie Lucas, who has been the IGN chair since October, 2015, Liu said.

China hopes that the IGN during next session of GA will continue to uphold the leadership of the member states, and that all sides will continue to undertake extensive and democratic discussions on the five category of issues, meet each other halfway and gradually foster conditions for seeking a package of solutions and finding the broadest consensus, said Liu.

"China stands ready to work with all stakeholders to contribute to moving forward the Security Council reform along the line of conforming to the common interests of member states and long-term interests of the United Nations," he noted.