INTERVENTION BY H.E. ZAHIR TANIN PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF AFGHANISTAN N TO THE UNITED NATIONS I NEW YORK
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CHAIR OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL NEGOTIATIONS ON THE QUESTION OF EQUITABLE REPRESENTATION AND INCREASE IN THE MEMBERSHIP OF THESECURITY COUNCIL AND OTHER MATTERS RELATED TO THE COUNCIL AT AN INFORMAL PLENARY SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

19 JANUARY 20 10

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UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

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Excellencies, distinguished delegates,
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I . Nobody ever said that reforming the Security Council would be an easy job. And yet you should all feel proud of the progress you have made: here we sit, only eleven months after the launch of these intergovernmental negotiations, closer to a meaningful reform than we have ever been before.
2. More, however, needs to be, done before we can cross the goal line. It is a heavy responsibility that rests on your shoulders. But I know that you are up to the task. I have witnessed the journey that you have taken, increasingly assuming responsibility for this process. You have been aided this year by GA decisions 621557, 631565, a President fully invested, and a body of work - like my letters and my Overview contained in 631960 - but it is first and foremost you, the membership, and your burning desire to reform the Council, that have continued to inspire the progress that we have already seen.

3. Therefore, I was deeply heartened by the fact that you yourselves have added further momentum to the process since we last met on 8 and 9 December 2009,'where you enthusiastically shared not only your reform proposals but also your views on the journey ahead. Over the holidays, as you all know, 1 received a letter which bears 139 signatures. In addition, I received letters from the African Group, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the Arab League, the S-5, and the Uniting for Consensus group. With such active engagement, you clearly demonstrated that you are all, across the board and in overwhelming numbers, eager to raise the stakes and push forward towards some form of decision-making this year.
4. Today, you can add another level of concreteness to our discussions by clearly - identifying the different areas of convergence in the light of all the interconnected five key issues. By doing so, you can continue to add fuel to this process. 5. As always, I will continue to promote interaction. That means you will once again be given the opportunity to intervene twice to react to and reciprocate the flexibility shown by your peers.

6. The floor is yours. Thank you.