STATEMENT
by
H.E. Igor Dzundev,
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Macedonia to the United Nations

at the

4th informal plenary session of the General Assembly on the Report of the High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change

Mr. President,
My Delegation aligned itself with the EU statement, but I would however like to add a number of our views on the Report.

First of all, I would like to express our gratitude to the Secretary General and HLP for the produced document which we welcome in general. Bearing in mind the serious threats and challenges we are facing today, the Report is timely and of high importance. It is a comprehensive and forward looking document and offers a number of valuable recommendations. It is a good basis for our further deliberations and endeavors and should bring us towards the acceleration of the reform process of the Organization.

Mr. President,
We are all aware that the Organization needs reform. We have spent years discussing this issue. Now it is high time to move forward, to show the political will and readiness and to take effective steps in order to re-shape the Organization towards more effective multilateralism. We have to reach agreement on a balanced and effective reform package. I believe that nowdays all of us are convinced that development and security go together, and we are also pleased to see the report on the Millennium Project presented in parallel to the HLP report.

We are also looking forward to the Secretary General report, confident that he will propose recommendations within his competencies to be taken up promptly. And we should support him. This debate should also help Secretary - General in shaping his recommendations.

Mr. President,
Macedonia considers that a number of recommendations contained in the Report are very realistic in respect of which the consensus may be reached in a shorter period and that the decisions may be taken progressively in the forthcoming months. We support the proposed time-frame and the approach to take all possible decisions before the Summit in September in broad consultation and agreement of the member states.

Regarding the recommendation targeting the current structure of the regional groups we are of the opinion that the present structure should prevail. We are very doubtful about the proposed arrangement for the electoral purposes of the Security Council. We donÕt see the merit to have electoral arrangement only for the purposes of the SC. Once you make that kind of arrangement, it will undoubtedly affect and challenge the credibility of the future existence of the EEG.

I am afraid that the recommendation lays primarily on arithmetical calculation disregarding other aspects of regional structuring. It is difficult to argue that the vanishing of the Eastern European Group for example could contribute to the efficiency and transparency of the work of the Organization - even more, to the equitable representation and participation of all states. On the contrary EEG, as you may know, has requested in the past one additional non - permanent seat in the reformed SC. I am happy that this issue has been noted not only by the member countries of EEG but also by some other delegations.

Mr. President,
We fully support the principles stated in paragraph 249 of the Report to be used as a basis for the reform of the Security Council. In our view the Security Council must be reformed through the increase in its membership with the countries from developing and developed world, through better geographical representation, but also through strengthening the quality and transparency of its decisions. Macedonia, as it was underlined during the General debate in September 2004 supports the increase of the membership of the Security Council, in both categories - permanent and non-permanent.

At the same time, we do believe that our attention and efforts should be proportionally directed to the reform of the General Assembly and of ECOSOC which are of no less importance and should go simultaneously with the Security Council reform.