29 January 2005	Saturday	18 Zilhaj 1425

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UNITED NATIONS, Jan 28: Pakistan on Thursday called on the international community to adopt the UN reforms agenda by consensus saying that any division will derail the entire reform process and further discredit the world body .

Speaking at the UN General Assembly Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Nations Munir Akram stressed that there was an "urgent need for the international community to reach new consensus on the future of collective security and on the changes that are needed in the United Nations."

"Such a new consensus must be achieved by consensus", he said. One divisive vote "for example on Security Council expansion" will lead to other votes on other sensitive or divisive issues before us.

Such divisions will derail the entire reform process, further discredit the United Nations, and frustrate even the objectives of those who aspire to acquire the label of new permanent members of the Security Council", Mr Akram said.

Speaking about the two models of reforms submitted by the UN reforms panel Mr Akram expressed Pakistan's support for model 'B' which he observed "though not perfect" can provide a basis for evolving a consensus solution.

He rejected model 'A' as being "undemocratic and unfair", saying that 11 members would occupy their seats for ever. The remaining 180 member states will only have 13 seats to compete. The Security Council will become less, not more, representative of the general membership.

Of the proposals, model A calls for expanding the number of permanent members from the current five to 11 so that there would be two new permanent members from Africa and Asia, while there would be one additional member from Europe and one from Latin America.

There would also be three new non-permanent seats that would be carried out for two-year terms and would be regionally representative. Under the proposed model B, however, there would be no expansion of the permanent members, but a new category would be created.

There would be eight new seats with member states serving out four-year renewable terms. Also, there would be the addition of one non-permanent two-year seat. Mr Akram said that "model B has necessary space and flexibility to accommodate the interests of all UN member States, including those who aspire to be permanent members."

"We believe that all 19 "elected" seats - 8 long-term renewable seats and 11 non-permanent seats - should be available as a matter of principle to 186 member states to seek representation in the Council", he said.

"Regional groupings could negotiate a suitable rotation formula within their geographical groups. Some important countries would obviously be more frequently, perhaps almost continuously, serve on the Council. Yet, through the requirement of periodic election by the General Assembly, those claiming greater responsibilities could be held accountable to the general membership", he said.