NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 9 – Ambassador Maurizio Massari, Italy’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, had a “warm and fruitful” discussion with the President of the General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid, focusing among other issues on the negotiations on the reform of the Security Council.
Massari reiterated the Italian commitment to the consultations on Our Common Agenda, the priority platform that Secretary General Antonio Guterres has set for his second term, and to the current and first-of-the-year session of the Intergovernmental Negotiations on the reform of the Security Council.
Italy, added the Italian ambassador, will also give its strong support to the upcoming high-level panels of the General Assembly on global vaccination, nature and sustainability of debt.
Massari addressed the the negotiations on Security Council reform on behalf of the Uniting for Consensus Group: “UfC remains committed to reaching a solution that can garner consensus and enjoy the widest possible support”, said the ambassador while invoking a reform that “increases the Council’s legitimacy and authority in the eyes of the international community and the global public opinion”. Massari relaunched the compromise proposal of the UfC based on the increase of only elective seats. This model would allow Africa to become the largest represented group (100% seats more than current structure), while Asia-Pacific would see the greatest increase (+150%, from two to five seats), Latin America and Eastern Europe would double their presence, and the SIDS (Small Island Development States) and other Small States would have a two-year rotating seat that would ensure their continued presence in the Council.
Click here to read the Ambassador’s entire speech. (@giorgiodelgallo)
