§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary-General of the UN concerning the timetable for reconfiguring the Security Council to allow for regional representation. [9387]
§ Peter HainThe timetable for reform has not featured in recent discussions between Ministers and the UN Secretary-General and in any case is not the responsibility of the Secretary-General, but that of the UN General Assembly. In the General Assembly, we have continued 257W to press for expansion in both the permanent and non-permanent categories of membership, including new permanent seats for Japan, Germany and each of the regions of Asia, Latin America and Africa.
While we believe the Security Council should be made more representative of the diversity of UN membership, it already contains members drawn from all of the UN's regional/electoral groups. Article 23 of the Charter of the United Nations lists equitable geographical distribution among the factors to be considered in the election of non-permanent members.