New York, November 26 (QNA) - The State of Qatar reiterated its commitment to participate actively in the negotiations on United Nations Security Council's reform, stressing the growing need for dialogue and openness to face the current and growing challenges with a Security Council representing the whole world, reflecting the current geopolitical and economic realities and keeping abreast of developments and changes witnessed by the world.

This came in a statement delivered by HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Ambassador Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani at the plenary meeting of UN General Assembly on the "Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council and Other Matters related to the Security Council."

HE Ambassador Sheikha Alya said that the Security Council's reform process aims to achieve the goals and purposes of the UN Charter, pointing out that any violation of the Charter and the international law weakens the role of the United Nations, undermines the credibility of its organs and affects international efforts to strengthen mechanisms for the maintenance of international peace and security.

Threatening the sovereignty of States and the use of force represent a challenge to the mandate of the Security Council and the international community, and constitutes a flagrant violation of the Charter of the United Nations, international law and the resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council, HE said, pointing out that after more than two decades of the discussions on the reform of the Security Council, and the increasing need to the in-depth dialogue and openness, the State of Qatar provided an opportunity to advance intergovernmental negotiations, as in 2017, it hosted the Doha Retreat on Security Council Reform, with the participation of Council's Member States and State's representatives from all groups.

Her Excellency explained that the discussions confirmed that facing the current and growing challenges with a Security Council is representing the whole world, embodying the current geopolitical and economic realities and keeping pace with the developments and changes witnessed in the world.

She also pointed out that the discussions in the intergovernmental negotiations stressed the importance of small States and Small Island Developing States to have the opportunity in the decision-making process in the expanded Council, stressing that the reform of the Council should not harm small States, and that they should have the representation they deserve in the expanded Security Council.

HE the Ambassador reiterated that any reform of the Council should go hand in hand with improvements in the working methods of the Council and the decision-making mechanism, noting the important role of the General Assembly on matters pertaining to the maintenance of international peace and security in accordance with Article 11 of the Charter, including the recommendations to the Security Council, as the complementary relationship between the Security Council and the General Assembly is vital and crucial to the balance of the UN work.

In the statement, HE reiterated the State of Qatar's position which affirms that the veto is a central issue to the Council's reform process, explaining that experience had shown that restricting or refraining from using it help to prevent serious crimes such as war crimes, genocide or ethnic cleansing.

The issue of Security Council reform is an important challenge for the international community, as it is closely linked to one of the main pillars of the United Nations, namely, the maintenance of international peace and security, she said, adding that the success of the reform process will contribute significantly to the realization of the goals of the United Nations and the attainment of a world based on norms, multilateralism, equity and regional balance.

Security Council reform process has been and remains an important topic not for the Member States only, but also for the entire United Nations system, since the presence of the Council that enjoys greater representation, efficiency and transparency, enhances the legitimacy of its decisions and accelerates its implementation, as well as strengthens multilateralism and contributes to efforts to achieve a more democratic and effective global governance system, HE underlined.

At the end of the statement, HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Ambassador Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani said that the State of Qatar stressed that it would continue to participate positively in the governments' negotiations for the reform of the Security Council with a view to reaching an effective and accountable Council capable of taking timely decisions for the maintenance of international peace and security. (QNA)