Intervention by the Permanent Representative of the Argentine Republic, Amb. Martín García Moritán

March 7

MR. CO-CHAIRS

ALLOW ME FIRST TO THANK YOU FOR CONVENING THIS MEETING TO EXCHANGE VIEWS ON THE CLUESTERS "CATEGORIES OF MEMBERSHIP", "REGIONAL REPRESENTATION" AND "THE QUESTION OF THE VETO", AND TO NOTE THAT MY DELEGATION FULLY ASSOCIATES ITSELF  WITH THE INTERVENTION FORMULATED NY ITALY IN NAME OF "UNITING FOR CONSENSUS".

THE THREE ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED ARE THE MOST COMPLEX AND WHERE MORE FLEXIBILITY IS REQUIRED BY ALL OF US TO ADVANCE TO ANY TYPE OF CONVERGENCE.

AS IS KNOWN, ARGENTINA DOES NOT FAVOR THE INCLUSION OF NEW PERMANENT MEMBERS OR THE CREATION OF OTHER EXCLUSIVE CATEGORIES WHEREAS, THE INCREASE OF THIS TYPE OF SEAT DOES NOT MAKE GREATER PARTICIPATION OF THOSE WHO ARE NOT REPRESENTED TODAY.

MY DELEGATION BELIEVES THAT A FORMULA THAT COULD ENJOY THE GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT IS IMPERATIVE IN THIS ISSUE, WOULD BE A REFORM OF THE COUNCIL THAT CONTAINS LONGER PERIODS FOR NON-PERMANENT MEMBERS, ITS REELECTION OR A COMBINATION OF BOTH.

AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE CONVINCED THAT ALL FORMULAS TO BE LEGITIMATE AND REPRESENTATIVE AS IN EVERY DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM HAVE TO INCLUDE THE ELEMENT OF ELECTION.

MR CO-CHAIRS,

ON THE OTHER PART, GEOGRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION IS LINKED TO THE TOPIC OF THE "SIZE OF AN EXTENDED SECURITY COUNCIL".

ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR, OUR COUNTRY PROMOTES EXPANSION OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL ONLY IN THE "NON-PERMANENT" CATEGORY OF MEMBERSHIP, ALWAYS AND WHEN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF MEMBERS ALLOWS THIS ORGAN TO CONTINUE TO BE EXECUTIVE.

IN THAT CONTEXT, BY PROPOSING TO IMPROVE THE GEOGRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION, WE MUST REMEMBER THE PERCENTAGES WHICH ON THE TOTAL OF THE MEMBERSHIP REPRESENTED THE PARTICIPATION OF THE ASSIGNED SEATS FOR NON PERMANENT IN 1945 AND 1963, 12% AND 9% RESPECTIVELY.

WE ALSO SUPPORT THE IDEA OF GIVING HIGHER PREEMINENCE TO REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVENESS IN THE SECURITY COUNCIL. TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE ARGENTINA HAS ALREADY SUGGESTED THAT THE LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN REGION WOULD BE IN CONDITIONS OF DEFINING WHICH COUNTRIES OF THE REGION WOULD REPRESENT THEIR INTERESTS IN NON PERMANENT MANDATES THROUGH A PERIODIC ELECTORAL PROCESS.

THE MEMBERS OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL IN REPRESENTATION OF THE LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN REGION HAVE BEEN TO A GREAT MEASURE ENDORSED BY THE REGION, BEING ONLY IN 7 OCCASIONS, SINCE 1945 TO DATE, NOT POSSIBLE TO REACH AN AGREEMENT.

EVIDENTLY, TO THE EXTENT THAT THE COUNTRIES OF THE REGION HAVE SHOWN THEIR INTEREST TO PARTICIPATE IN THE WORK OF THE COUNCIL, THE REGION HAS BEEN IN CONDITIONS OF REACHING AN AGREEMENT.

ARGENTINA BELIEVES IN THE POSSIBILITY THAT LATIN AMERICA DEFINES PERIODICALLY WHICH COUNTRIES REPRESENT IT REGION IN SUCCESSIVE PERIODS, UNDER THE PREMISE THAT ANY FORMULA THAT IS AGREED, SHOULD ALWAYS BE SUBMITTED PERIODICALLY TO AN ELECTORAL PROCESSES. THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH OUR POSITION OF REJECTION TO THE INCREASE OF THE PERMANENT MEMBERS OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL, SINCE THESE HAVE ALREADY REPRESENTED ITS OWN NATIONAL INTERESTS. PERMANENCE DOES NOT RESPOND TO A DEMOCRATIC CRITERION IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS. IN FACT THIS POSITION IS CONSISTENT IN ADDITION TO THE TRADITIONAL POSITION OF ARGENTINA AGAINST THE INSTITUTION OF THE VETO.

REGARDING THE IDENTIFICATION OF REGIONAL GROUPS, WHERE SOME ARISE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CREATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS, WE BELIEVE THEY MUST BE REVIEWED. HOWEVER, WE DO NOT CONSIDER IT IS THE CASE OF THE LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN GROUP WHICH, ON THE OTHER HAND, HAS SHOWN TO MARCH TOWARDS A GREATER COORDINATION OF POLICIES WITH THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THE COMMUNITY OF LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN STATES (CELAC).

BEYOND EVENTUAL REVISIONS, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE GROUPS SHOULD IN GENERAL REFLECT COMMUNITY OF POSITIONS AND INTERESTS IN THE FIELD OF PEACE AND SECURITY. IF THE CONVENIENCE OF FAVORING TO THE GREATEST POSSIBLE, ACCESS TO LOWER INCOME COUNTRIES MAY BE CONSIDERED, WE DON´T BELIEVE THAT IN THE FIELD OF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY, SEATS SHOULD BE  DISTRIBUTED ON THE BASIS OF OTHER CRITERIA, WHETHER MAY BE NATIONAL GROSS PRODUCT OR INCOME PER CAPITA.

REGARDING TRANSREGIONAL REPRESENTATION BASED ON SIZE, DEVELOPMENT, CIVILIZATION, OR RELIGION OF A MEMBER STATE, ANY FORMULA THAT IS ADOPTED SHOULD BE SIMPLE IN ORDER TO DETERMINE SUCH REPRESENTATION, AVOIDING SCHEMES WHERE COUNTRIES APPEAR FOR DIFFERENT REASONS IN SEVERAL GROUPS AT A TIME.

IN SYNTHESIS, WE ARE OPENED TO CONSIDER FORMULAS THAT REGISTER THE PROGRESS IN REPRESENTATION REGARDING REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. WE MUST ANALYZE IF THE DIVISIONS IN REGIONAL GROUPS AGREED SINCE THE CREATION OF THE UN ARE TODAY RELEVANT, OR IF AN UPDATE MIGHT BE NEEDED.
THE FURTHER SIMPLE ARE THE PROPOSED FORMULAS REGARDING REGIONAL REPRESENTATION, THE HIGHER THE POSSIBILITIES OF CONCITING ACCESSIONS, AND IN GENERAL IT CAN BE CONSIDERED TO GIVE MORE EXTENSIVE MANDATES IN THE TIME, OR RE-ELECTING POSSIBILITIES.

FINALLY, THE SAME REGIONS COULD HAVE A ROLE IN THE SELECTION OF CANDIDATES, AND THE VALIDATION SHOULD ALWAYS BE OBTAINED THROUGH ELECTIONS, THAT IS EQUAL TO NO PERMANENT MEMBERS.

ON THE QUESTION OF THE VETO, SINCE THE NEGOTIATIONS OF THE CONFERENCE OF SAN FRANCISCO IN 1945 AND WITH GREATER EMPHASIS AT THE FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN OCTOBER 1946 AND AT THE SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN SEPTEMBER 1947, ARGENTINA SET A POSITION VERY FIRM AGAINST THE VETO. IN THE TWO FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLIES, THE ARGENTINE REPRESENTATIVE STRONGLY CRITICIZED THE USE OF THE VETO BY THE FIVE PERMANENT MEMBERS, ARGUING THAT SUCH PRIVILEGE WAS "VIOLATORY" OF THE PRINCIPLE OF SOVEREIGN EQUALITY BETWEEN THE STATES AND IMPLICATED IN THE FACTS THAT A SINGLE STATE HAD THE RIGHT TO "ANNOY THE WILL" OF THE REMAINING MEMBERS OF THE ORGANIZATION.

THE ARGENTINE POSITION AGAINST THE VETO HAS BEEN REITERATED CONTINUOUSLY IN THE DISCUSSIONS REGARDING THAT ISSUE, IN PARTICULAR SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE REFORM OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL, 20 YEARS OLD AGO.

FINNALLY, ARGENTINA HAS ADOPTED THE "CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE RESPONSE OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL IN CASES OF GENOCIDE, CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY AND WAR CRIMES". ARGENTINA SPECIALLY VALUES THIS INITIATIVE OF LIECHTENSTEIN AND THE ACT GROUP IN THE UNDERSTANDING THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE DEFENSE OF THE PURPOSES AND PRINCIPLES OF THE UN CHARTER OF THIS ORGANIZATION AND TO THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE WORK OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL IN THE PREVENTION OF THE MENTIONED CRIMES.

FINALLY AND AS THE VETO ELIMINATION IS INVIABLE AT THIS TIME, WE CAN NOT ACCEPT FORMULAS THAT SHALL TEND TO PERPETUATE OR EXTEND IT TO NEW MEMBERS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH