Statement by Ambassador Vitaly I. Churkin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, during the Security Council meeting on working methods
July 19, 2016
The discussion of the working methods of the Security Council in an open format is an occasion to hear an outside assessment of the current state of affairs and be enriched by new ideas and proposals for improving the procedural aspects of Security Council activities, of course on the understanding is that the working methods themselves, as well as decisions on possible amendments thereto, are within the purview of the Security Council itself. Today’s meeting has additional importance because it is presided over by the delegation that heads the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Matters and that co-sponsored the best-known document on this matter, presidential note S/2010/507.
We note of Japan’s intention to update note 507, which is of critical importance as a compendium of the Security Council’s working practices. For our part, we stand ready to provide any necessary assistance to the Japanese delegation with that important work. We also note the contribution made by other non-permanent Council members to revitalizing the Council’s working methods with new initiatives. We welcome the statement on the Toledo formula, delivered by the representative of Egypt on behalf of the African delegations. We also call on our European colleagues to add this innovation to their toolkits. For instance, some could associate themselves with the statements of the United States delegation.
Note 507 is not only actively used by Security Council members; it is also an important aid for non-permanent members preparing to work on the Council. That will be particularly relevant this year. The new members elected by the General Assembly in June will be able to attend Council meetings starting on 1 October. In October, the Security Council will be presided over by Russia. We stand ready to provide these members with assistance in the smooth beginning of their work on the Council, on the clear understanding that their term begins only on 1 January 2017.
We note that, in recent years, the activities of non-permanent members have increased significantly — a development that we fully welcome. Many of our non-permanent colleagues are not only making contributions to resolving pressing issues on the Council’s agenda; in fact, they are also providing substantive initiatives and taking the lead in enhancing important areas of the Council’s work. We are convinced that the Security Council would benefit from the further democratization of its work. In line with that would be a more equitable distribution of duties in informal leadership on country-specific and thematic issues — the so-called penholdership. Certain Council members should not regard countries or even regions as their tutees and act as mentors on certain issues. This is a vestige of a bygone era, entirely out of place in the twenty-first century.
By definition, the reform and improvement of the work of the Council should be increasing its effectiveness and efficiency in order to facilitate a fuller implementation of its mandate of maintaining international peace and security. One area requiring our attention is the Council’s documentation overload. Each year, the Security Council distributes hundreds of documents, and let us acknowledge it that not all of them have added value. We are convinced that the Security Council’s decisions and statements to the press should be terse, easy to understand and action-oriented. We should avoid situations in which Security Council resolutions contain up to 50 operative paragraphs and press statements go on for three pages, while the bulk of those documents contain repeated provisions from other documents.
Resolutions are no place for micromanagement. They should be concise and clear and their content must be political. We need to take steps to lighten the workload of the Council, which is already working at full capacity. I do not think that we will be able to reduce the number of meetings, particularly given the growing instability in the world; however, the Council’s workload should be taken into account by Council members when they decide to convene meetings — especially thematic ones — and as they consider the optimal format for such meetings and the number of rapporteurs or briefers. At present, we are hearing five briefers in some meetings. We think that there should be no more than three.
The most important consideration should be the added value of the event or meeting and how much it is likely to improve the situation in practice. We believe that the Council should not take up topics that it cannot take decisions on. We also believe that the Council should remain focused on country-specific issues; it should neither encroach upon the mandates of other United Nations bodies nor attempt to act in the stead of the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, the Human Rights Council or other organs. Such initiatives could undermine the organization of the United Nations system as a whole.
It is absolutely clear that the Security Council is a favourite of global media, and it is tempting to use the media for self-promotion, including to promote domestic political agendas. We know that we cannot expect Council members to behave like saints but we would nevertheless ask them to act in the interests of supporting international peace and security first and foremost
