Thank you, Mister President.
Allow me, first of all, to say what an honor it is to be able to speak, as the representative of a relatively small country, a young member of the United Nations, first mandate at the Council, but with a rich history of cooperation spanning more than four decades with the countries of the African continent, about the history and under-representation of Africa on this Council. Thank you for this humbling opportunity. I would also like to thank our Secretary-General who – not only in his statement today, but in his New Agenda for Peace - makes a clear plea for reform of this Council, and the President of the General Assembly and Dr. Mbete for their enlightening interventions.
Indeed, when 50 countries met in San Francisco in the spring of 1945 to negotiate our Charter, there were only four African countries among them, as we have heard. And yet, Liberia's head of delegation, Clarence Lorenzo Simpson, said something that remains important for countries like mine to this day: " for not possessing the means to wage war, the dreams and hopes of small nations are only of world peace and the security of their rights and independence. "
As for Simpson's third dream and hope, independence, the Charter includes articles on self-determination in Chapters 11, 12 and 13 - and the United Nations has been able to accompany many African countries on their road to independence. Today, not only are there 54 African members of the United Nations, but the richness and diversity of their contributions is omnipresent and indispensable to the UN, from contingents of peacekeepers to unique examples of conflict prevention and resolution, often at the local level, to innovative ways of increasing sustainability.
As Madam Mbete pointed out, by 2050, 40% of the world's young people will be living on the African continent. Young Africans will therefore play a key role in shaping the world's future. If the Security Council is to remain credible and relevant, as well as forward-looking, it must evolve with this world of tomorrow, and offer better representation to the African continent, which has been under-represented for so long, despite the strong presence of African contexts in the Council's decisions and discussions. Switzerland supports the commitment of African countries to play their rightful role on the world stage. Security Council reform is a necessary and urgent step towards making this Council more representative, more accountable and more effective.
Mister President,
With regard to Simpson's second dream and hope, the guarantee of our rights, we have seen - with the adoption of the Charter and a multitude of instruments of international and humanitarian law - great progress within the international community. And yet, today, the peoples of the United Nations are confronted with the greatest number of conflicts, violence, deaths, injuries, displacement - yes, they are confronted with a shocking dehumanization.
Even the best reforms will not bring greater peace and security to the world if the UN Charter, international law and international humanitarian law are not respected, or even systematically flouted. All member states have an obligation and responsibility not only to respect the Charter, but also to implement the resolutions of this Council. The Security Council, for its part, must act in good faith on behalf of UN member states. This requires a relentless pursuit of peace, based on international law and systematic dialogue with the states directly concerned. The Council's working methods are essential to strengthen its accountability, coherence and transparency, and thus the legitimacy and implementation of its decisions. This is why, for Switzerland, improving the working methods remains a priority. And improving methods implies a restrictive use of the veto, as proposed by the ACT Group's Code of Conduct, in which 130 countries have pledged not to vote against resolutions in the case of genocide, war crimes or mass atrocities - crimes which have severely affected the African continent throughout its history.
Mister President,
Let us finally come to the first dream and hope of the head of the Liberian delegation in San Francisco: the aspiration for global peace. This is the primary task of this body, the Security Council. And, I think we can all agree, it is not fulfilling it. Certainly not enough, and not well enough.
Not only is greater representation of African states on the Security Council imperative. It also means basing its work more on regional and local expertise. This Council can learn, for example, from the successes of the Peacebuilding Commission in certain African contexts, but also from excellent African initiatives such as the Panel of the Wise, the WiseYouth Network or FemWise. These are instruments of preventive diplomacy that we need to support and make greater use of. Allow me in particular to underline the important role that African women mediators can play in conflict resolution, on the continent as elsewhere in the world.
In the same vein, Switzerland encourages intensified exchanges between this Council and the Peace and Security Council of the African Union. The aim is to increase mutual understanding and the coherence of our action. Annual exchanges between the two Councils enable us to tackle peace and security issues together, based on a regional approach and a global vision. I am therefore delighted to be able to welcome the Peace and Security Council of the African Union in October, under the Swiss presidency, for in-depth discussions on issues such as the role of youth, the implementation of Resolution 2719 on peace operations, and climate and security.
Mister President,
In his New Agenda for Peace, the Secretary-General defines three key factors: trust, solidarity and universality. To guarantee these, and thus strengthen the maintenance of international peace and security, African contributions are and will remain essential. The Pact for the Future offers us the opportunity to call in unison for a more representative, effective and accountable Security Council.
Allow me to conclude with an African saying: "When the music changes, so does the dance." So it's high time the Council adapted to the music of the 21st century.
I thank you.