NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 12TH – Italy calls for an enhanced interaction between the General Assembly and the Security Council. “We believe this interaction should be strengthened, considering that the General Assembly is the only United Nations body with universal representation… the Security Council acts on behalf of Member States. It is essential, therefore, to have a Council accountable to the wider membership,” Italy’s Permanent Rappresentative at the Headquarters of New York, Ambassador Mariangela Zappia, said during the General Assembly meeting on the Annual Report of the Security Council. She emphasized the importance of increased communication especially in those cases “where the mere threat of veto prevented the Council from taking action.”
The Ambassador expressed appreciation for the punctuality and detail of the Council’s report, adding however that “having more analytical contents in the Security Council’s Annual Report would indeed allow a more structured discussion on the action, and especially on the reason of the inaction, of the Security Council: this inaction is closely linked to the veto, regardless of whether it is actually applied or simply threatened.” Zappia furthermore articulated her support for “initiatives aimed at restricting the use of the veto,” given the inaction that it currently nourishes.
According to Zappia, increasing the number of non-permanent members -to be elected by rotation from the Assembly and thereby accountable to it- is the only road to making the Council “more democratic, transparent and efficient”. The position of Italy and the Group Uniting for Consensus was, through her words, reaffirmed. (@OnuItalia)
