( 13 March 2014,  Time: 1000 hrs, Venue: Trusteeship Council )

Mr. Chairman,
1.Let me begin by thanking you for your letter of 28 February in which you declared your \'much awaited\' schedule of meetings for this session of the IGN. My delegation was looking forward to this letter, not only for the dates of these meetings, but also for some sense from you, Mr. Chairman, of the outcome of your extensive consultations spread out over the past three months since we last met. It is a matter of regret to us, Mr. Chairman, that your letter does not convey the outcome of your consultations, a process which has held up our negotiations by almost two months.

2.Your opening statement today was therefore very useful in throwing light on your discussions in these two months. In the interests of transparency, we request your opening statement be circulated to all of us. We are prepared today to embark on the final stage of this twenty-year old process of deliberations on the reforms of the United Nations Security Council. It is our expectation that at the end of this process, which you have indicated will be spread out over six meetings, we will have in hand a negotiating text.

3.I would first like to align my position with the statements delivered by the distinguished PRs of  Brazil of behalf of the G-4, and St. Lucia on behalf of the L.69 Group of Developing Countries.  I also fully support the sentiments expressed by the distinguished PR of Guyana for CARICOM on this subject earlier today.

4.We have already expressed in great detail during the previous meetings of our IGN process our views on the first cluster on our work programme, namely, “categories of membership”. This issue was outlined in GA Decision 62/557 in 2009. The views of all member-states participating in these negotiations since 2009 have been clearly encapsulated in the PGA’s Non-Paper which was discussed in the IGN meeting chaired by you in December 2013. We note your advice contained in your letter convening this meeting to us to “avoid repetitions”.

5.It should therefore come to you, Mr. Chairman, as no surprise to find that India strongly supports the option of enlargement of both existing categories – permanent and non-permanent – in the reformed UN Security Council.

6.Although there had been some speculation about whether or not we will get such a written summary from you, I am glad to note, Mr. Chairman, from your letter of 5 March 2013, written in your capacity as the Chairman of the Trade in Small Arms Working Group, that you are already following the normal practice of all Chairs and Facilitators appointed by the President of the General Assembly of circulating a summary note following the meeting chaired by you. We have heard this morning the unusual idea that the Chair cannot issue any summary! If we were to accept this idea, Mr. Chairman, we would effectively derail all the other processes of negotiations currently underway in the United Nations, including the SDG\'s or the WSIS review.

7.We therefore look forward to seeing our position, which is the mainstream position in these negotiations, reflected in this summary note which will be circulated by you.

8.It is our expectation that you will find that the majority membership of the General Assembly, Mr. Chairman, is in favour of expansion in both categories of membership in the reformed UN Security Council.

I thank you Mr. Chairman.