Bahrain Reaffirms Call for Balanced UN Security Council Reform on Behalf of Arab Group

The Kingdom of Bahrain reaffirmed the Arab Group’s commitment to achieving comprehensive and balanced reform of the United Nations Security Council during a session of the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council reform at the UN General Assembly.

Ambassador Jamal Fares Alrowaiei, Bahrain’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, delivered the statement on behalf of the Arab Group, stressing the importance of reforms that reflect current international realities and secure the broadest possible consensus among member states.

The statement underscored the Arab Group’s commitment to constructive engagement in the reform process and continued cooperation with international partners to achieve meaningful progress.

It also expressed appreciation for the efforts of the co-chairs of the Intergovernmental Negotiations, highlighting the need for discussions on the outcomes of the current session to consider the positions of all member states and negotiating groups through a balanced and comprehensive approach addressing all aspects of reform.

The Arab Group stressed that genuine progress in Security Council reform requires consensus and flexibility, warning that any steps lacking broad agreement could affect the credibility of the negotiations and undermine the unity of UN member states.

Regarding the Consolidated List, the statement said any proposed reform model should be based on areas of convergence among negotiating groups and should accurately reflect all major proposals without exclusion or marginalisation.

The statement also reiterated the Arab Group’s position that the issue of veto powers is directly linked to fair representation within the Security Council. It stressed that meaningful reform must address existing structural imbalances, including the absence of permanent Arab representation despite the Arab world’s political and demographic significance and its central role in issues related to international peace and security.