Madame Chair,

For years now, the entire UN membership has been focusing its effort to implement what our leaders recalled in the Millennium Summit, where heads of State had resolved to intensify efforts to achieve comprehensive Security Council reform. Much has been accomplished..

You have our thanks, Madame President,

for your unflagging energy and commitment to carry on this debate during your tenure.. The reform of the Security Council is one of the most widely and constantly discussed subject here at the United Nations. A majority of the UN’s members, devote the bulk of our energies here to one thing – reforming the United Nations and the UN Security Council. There is no better time than now, to move the UNSC reform process in tandem with the UN Secretary General’s reform of the three pillars of our organization.

This is not surprising, because the United Nations, in concept, is largely about securing the future, and without security there is no development, and most of the people of the World face a very grim future. But for all the focus up to this point on what is surely a most central concern of members, results have been very disappointing. Huge amount of time have been spent, and it seems that all our meetings have made little difference. Even where progress has occurred, too often we wait in vain for the fruits of discussions to take shape only to come back the next session to repeat ourselves yet again. In other words, the need exists to find ways of making more efficient use of our time and find ways to focus on the substance of our discussion thus far

– we need to move to text based negotiations. The proposed resolution advanced by the L.69 Group, addresses that need in the view of my delegation in the most appropriate way. Accordingly, I take this occasion to reiterate the strong support of the Federated States of Micronesia with the position expressed by Her Excellency Rhonda King on behalf of the L.69 Group during this debate and previous discussions in the IGN.

Finally, Madame President, As this is my first occasion to address the intergovernmental negotiations in the new year, I would like to extend warm congratulations to you and the Co- Chairs on their appointments to lead our discussions. We take great encouragement at knowing this IGN is in such experienced hands.

Thank you.