According to Dennis Francis, the President of the General Assembly, "significant progress" has so far been made in the UN Security Council reform process, and it has elaborated a framework that could attract the support of member states.
"I am encouraged by the progress we've made. The framework now in place could provide broad support from the membership, offering a good foundation for ongoing work," Francis said on Thursday, in an optimistic assessment of long-delayed discussions.
"There is a strong desire by the membership that the Security Council be reformed effectively, " he said referring to IGN.
He referred to the reform process initiated in 1993 as a working group and reborn as the IGN in 2007, which has yet to open formal negotiations because of opposition from some countries, when asked about the possibility of structural reforms to make the UN more effective to face future challenges.
Much of this opposition comes from a bloc of 12 nations known as Uniting for Consensus, that have used procedural tactics to grind the process to a halt.
"Although there has been significant progress, formal negotiations on reform in the Security Council have not yet started," Francis said. The timing for the formal negotiations to start will be decided by the members.
He added, "Tremendous work has been invested in examining the different proposals and gaining some clarity."
Francis' remarks came during a news conference with two high school students taking part in an outreach event called "General Assembly Presidents for a Day," designed to draw attention to the organization among youth. One of the students, Fariha Akter, 15, is an immigrant from Bangladesh.
Read also | Ukrainian Drone Assault Ignites Blaze at Russian Military Base
Read also | Bill Clinton Highlights Clear Choice Between Kamala Harris and Trump at DNC
