Policy  /  International Organizations

Latvia and the UN Reforms

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Changing international system requires also its actors, including international organizations, to adopt in order to adequately address the global challenges of the 21st century. In order to strengthening the UN several reforms were implemented, for example, the Human Rights Council, the Peacebuilding Commission and new gender entity UN-Women were established, working methods of the General Assembly and ECOSOC were improved and the governance and management of the UN system were enhanced. Still reforms of the UN remains in the agenda, the promotion of effectiveness of the UN is ongoing process.

The discussion on Security Council reform has continued for nearly 20 years in order to make it more broadly representative, efficient and transparent, enhancing its effectiveness and legitimacy. Discussions are devoted to five main elements of reform: membership, veto power, regional representation, the size of an enlarged Security Council, and the working methods of the Council and its relationship with the General Assembly.

In order to facilitate the process of reform the intergovernmental negotiations were launched in February 2009. The chair of the negotiations is Ambassador Zahir Tanin of Afghanistan. The negotiations will be continued in 2011.

 

Latvian position on the UN Security Council reform:

  • Latvia supports enlargement of the UN Security Council membership in both categories – permanent and non-permanent;
  • Due to considerable increase of Eastern European Group (EEG) membership in last 20 years, any enlargement of the Security Council should include at least one new non-permanent seat for EEG;
  • The right of veto should not be extended to any new permanent members of the Security Council;
  • Latvia supports improvement of the UN Security Council working methods to increase efficiency and transparency of its work.

More about the Security Council reform find here