KINSGTON, Jamaica – Jamaica’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Ambassador Courtenay Rattray, has been appointed Chairman of the UN Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council reform.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade said in a release that the appointment was made on Monday.

Reform of the fifteen-member Security Council has been high on the agenda of the wider UN membership for over 20 years, the release said.

The ministry explained that an aspect of reform that has received much attention surrounds the question of the size of the permanent membership of the Council, which currently stands at five (US, UK, Russian Federation, France and China).

Also on the reform agenda are issues relating to the categories of membership and the question of the veto power accorded to the permanent members, it added.

The Security has only been reformed once since 1945, when it expanded the number of non-permanent members from six to ten.

Jamaica has been actively engaged in efforts in the reform process and the appointment of its Permanent Representative will give greater prominence to Jamaica’s role and contribution at the United Nations, the ministry stated.