NEW YORK – Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United NationsAmbassador Munir Akram has firmly opposed the addition of new permanentseats in the Security Council of the world body.

Addressing the first meeting of the Intergovernmental NegotiationsFramework during the 75th session of the UN, Akram highlighted that thecreation of new permanent seats will defeat the purpose of Security Councilreforms and make it less representative.

At the 1st meeting of the IGN today, I reiterated Pakistan’s principledposition for a comprehensive United Nations Security Council reform. We areprepared to breathe new life in the IGN process but some want to kill it.

Pakistan and the UfC believe that the creation of new permanent seats willdefeat the purpose of SC reform. This will make the Council lessrepresentative, less effective, and more divided, and will diminish theright of the vast majority of the @UN membership to serve on the Council,the statement added.

Munir Akram reiterated Pakistan’s principled position for comprehensivereforms of the Security Council which meets the interests of all memberstates.

The proposal of the United for Consensus (UfC) group to have twenty-onenon-permanent seats would redress the deficit of equitable representationin the Security Council. Adding that, it also accommodates the interests ofall groups including the African, the Arab, the OIC, and Small IslandDeveloping States.