Sylvie Lucas appointed as Chair of IGN of UNSC Reforms

Luxembourg envoy to the United Nations (UN) Sylvie Lucas has been appointed as the next chair of the Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) of UN Security Council Reforms.
She was appointed by 70th UN General Assembly session President Morgens Lykketoft and replaced Jamaican Ambassador to UN Courtenay Rattray.
Her appointment comes ahead of the next round of negotiations UNSC Reforms to be held in UNGA after negotiating text was tabled in UNGA.
Background

• The 69th session of UNGA (President Sam Kutesa) had achieved a breakthrough in the UNSC reform process by adopting a negotiating text in September 2015.
• The text contained: Proposals and positions of various UN members on expansion of the council.
• Positions of various UN members on the distribution and expansion of permanent and non-permanent seats of the UNSC along with their proposals for use of the veto power.

Luxembourg had served as a non-permanent member of the 15 nation UNSC for year 2013-14. It is also part of the BENELUX countries comprising Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg which are supporting UNSC reforms.

Month: Current Affairs - October, 2015