- Ambassador Ahmad emphasizes reform must serve interests of all UN member states rather than ‘privileging a few’
- Says only an acceptable formula with increase in non-permanent members, and fair rotation through regular elections, can provide more equitable representation
- Criticizes concept of additional individual permanent members, calling it outdated and inconsistent
UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has urged a comprehensive and inclusive reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), warning that the push by a “select group of countries for permanent seats” is blocking progress toward a more representative and effective Council.
Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, emphasized that Security Council reform must serve the interests of all member states rather than “privileging a few.”
Speaking during a debate on the restructuring of the 15-member Council, Ambassador Ahmad did not name any country directly but noted that the G4 countries — India, Brazil, Germany, and Japan — were obstructing the reform process. “The inability to reach agreement on reform does not stem from flaws in the process itself, but rather from the position of a few Member States unwilling to accommodate the broader interests and perspectives of the wider UN membership,” he said. “Instead of reform for all, they are seeking privilege for some. That is the biggest roadblock to meaningful reforms.”
Full-scale negotiations for Security Council reform began in the General Assembly in February 2009, focusing on five critical areas: membership categories, the use of the veto, regional representation, the size of an expanded Council, and the Council’s working methods and relationship with the General Assembly. Progress toward restructuring remains stalled as the G4 countries continue to demand permanent seats, while the Italy/Pakistan-led Uniting for Consensus (UfC) group opposes any additional permanent members, arguing that it would create “new centers of privilege.”
Ambassador Ahmad highlighted UfC’s compromise proposal, which envisions longer-term, re-electable non-permanent members. This approach, he said, is inclusive, balanced, and in accordance with the UN Charter, allowing broader representation and rotation while respecting the principle of sovereign equality. “Only an acceptable formula with an increase in non-permanent members and fair rotation through regular elections can provide more equitable representation for all States on the Council. This is also the essence of democracy,” he said.
He strongly criticized the concept of additional individual permanent members, calling it outdated and inconsistent with modern multilateral norms. “Nothing is more anachronistic than the individual permanent membership, a category of members who unashamedly pursue their own national interest, represent no body, and are accountable to no one. Permanent membership and the veto have often been the root causes of the Council’s paralysis and non-transparent working methods,” Ambassador Ahmad added.
The envoy also stressed the importance of the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) process, which has expanded areas of convergence and narrowed differences among member states over time. He said member states should be given sufficient time and space to reconcile divergences across the five interlinked clusters of reform.
Ambassador Ahmad concluded that the Uniting for Consensus proposal represents an objective, flexible, and inclusive approach, capable of accommodating the legitimate interests of all member states and regions. “The reform of the Council should enhance the voice of all UN Member States and ensure that expansion strengthens representation rather than entrenching privilege for a select few,” he said, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to a more democratic, accountable, and effective Security Council.
