Ambassador Chris Lu
U.S. Representative for UN Management and Reform
New York, New York
March 28, 2024
AS DELIVERED
Thank you to the co-chairs from Romania and St. Lucia for convening this meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly.
The United Sates has strongly supported this working group under the previous co-chairs. We share the goals of streamlining the agenda of the General Assembly, re-examining the number of side events, and increasing accessibility for persons with disabilities.
With regard to the topic of today’s meeting, the United States welcomes efforts aimed to increase synergy between the agendas of the General Assembly and its Committees, as well as other bodies such as ECOSOC and the Peacebuilding Commission. To that end, we support the regular engagement that currently exists between the leaders of these bodies and encourage greater collaboration going forward.
While the Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, Article 11 of the UN Charter states that the General Assembly may discuss any questions relating to the maintenance of international peace and security brought before it by any member state or by the Security Council.
We would note, though, that the General Assembly has recommendatory authority only, and that only the Security Council has the authority to adopt measures that are binding on member states.
However, the 1950 “Uniting for Peace” resolution states that an emergency special session can be convened in the General Assembly within 24 hours in those instances when the Security Council fails to exercise its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security due to lack of unanimity of the permanent members.
The United States also was proud to support the initiative in the 76th session for a standing mandate to convene a General Assembly debate whenever a veto is cast in the Security Council. This is a significant step towards advancing the accountability, transparency, and responsibility of the permanent members of the Security Council.
We look forward to the discussions in this Ad Hoc Working Group, as well as the Pact for the Future, regarding further efforts to reinvigorate, streamline and better coordinate the work of the UN. Thank you.
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