Compromise must for Security Council reforms: UNGA president Csaba Korosi

New Delhi, January 30

UN General Assembly president Csaba Korosi on Monday criticised the slow process of the UN Security Council reforms and suggested some sort of a compromise.

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“It is up to the member states to come up with some kind of shared understanding. Some kind of compromise. I very strongly asked the member states to think very hard. Do you want to spend another 17 years on a process or do you want to see results as soon as possible,” he said while speaking at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA).

Shared understanding

It is up to the member states to come up with some kind of shared understanding. Some kind of compromise. I very strongly asked the member states to think very hard. Csaba Korosi, UNGA president

“Does it have a time frame? No, I think it does not. Does it have a negotiated text, no it does not…. Have you ever seen a negotiated process that has no text to negotiate? Have you ever seen a negotiating process that has no clear-cut time frame for when to deliver,” he asked while stating that this state of affairs may be because some members find the current dysfunctional stage more preferable. “They will have to make compromises, they will have to make agreements. May be partial agreements. Maybe a step-by-step approach. Otherwise, it will be very difficult,” he suggested.

Interestingly, the Hungarian diplomat’s suggestion is close to his country’s position which favours examining all practical proposals aiming for interim solutions whereas India as well as other aspirants are not prepared for a veto-less permanent membership. “To quote the old Indian proverb, we cannot change the direction of the wind, but we can adjust the sails,” he observed.

“Since then, much has changed. The world economy has changed, the balance of power in the world has changed… so it is absolutely understandable that the countries and the leaders of the world are more and more impatient demanding that the Security Council should be reformed,” he said.

Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar hosted a millet lunch for Korosi and discussed global challenges, UN reform, the Ukraine conflict and the G20 agenda. “Assured him of India’s fullest support in developmental progress and reformed multilateralism,” he tweeted.