Mr. Chairman,

I thank you for convening this meeting and for your letter from June 17 which appropriately frames our discussions today and helps us focusing our exchanges.  

I will be very brief because our positions on the issues under consideration have already been outlined in previous rounds of the negotiations. Nevertheless, allow me to make a few remarks.  

- Firstly, I would like to reiterate that improving the working methods of the SC in order to increase its efficiency, transparency and accountability is an integral part of the whole process of SC reform. As this Assembly knows, Portugal is a long-time supporter of comprehensive reform of the SC.

- Secondly, let me state very clearly that all states, big and small, have a stake in both domains of SC reform – expansion and working methods. We do not subscribe to the notion that working methods should be improved to cater to medium sized and small countries, while expansion should be pursued to address the interests of global and regional powers. In other words, the notion that for medium and small countries enhanced access to SC means better working methods, and for global and regional powers it means enhanced chances to serve in the Council, is not something that my delegation is ready to endorse.     

- Thirdly, I wish to state that we deem it perfectly legitimate for the General Assembly to address the working methods of the SC and its relationship with the GA given that, as the Charter stipulates, the SC acts on behalf of all Member States. Our leaders did so in the 2005 Outcome Document and it is incumbent upon us to follow on their decisions and recommendations.

Strengthening the relationship between the General Assembly and the Security Council with a view to reinforcing a cooperative and constructive collaboration between them is a mutually beneficial exercise providing for a general overhaul of the entire organization.

I believe it would be beneficial to all, including the SC itself, if the SC could further develop more open and transparent working methods thus granting to its decisions accrued weight and stronger broad based support.

Mr. Chairman,

As we may conclude from the first round of these intergovernmental negotiations, Member States share a wide range of common views on some of the subjects we have before us today.

Thus, I believe that any forthcoming “overview” or the outcome document of our discussions should register this communality and the high degree of support among the membership for an improvement in the relationship between the GA and the SC and for an enhancement of the working methods of the SC.

Portugal assesses very positively the work you have done, Mr. Chairman, in this realm. The “overview” encapsulates appropriately the bulk of the proposals put forward by Members States and presents those ideas in a systematized way that facilitates further consideration and discussion of the issue.

In this context, I wish to put on record Portugal’s support for the principles and measures outlined in paragraphs 15 and 17 of the overview.

If anything, Mr. Chairman, I would just note that the “overview” could be a little more exhaustive since not all proposals were actually reflected in it.

For example, not all the recommendations made by the S5, which we share, were included in the “overview”.

Some of the Portuguese submissions, Mr. Chairman, are also absent from this document. That is the case, for instance, of what I said in April 20 regarding assessments by outgoing Security Council’s Presidents of the work done by the Council under their leadership. I regretted that most assessments by outgoing Council’s Presidents became statistical rather than analytical and that the practice of annexing such assessments to the annual report was discontinued.

I trust that these minor shortcomings will be remedied in future documents emanating from our discussions.

Portugal continues to stand firmly behind your Chairmanship and remains engaged in an active participation in these intergovernmental negotiations with a view to contributing, with flexibility, to the attainment of the objective of a comprehensive reform of the SC.

In this context, we look forward to receiving from you further guidance with respect to the next stages of the negotiations.

I thank you, Mr. Chairman.