High officials of the G4-States - Brazil, Germany, India and Japan - met today to discuss the reform of the Security Council of the United Nations and, in particular, the next steps to be taken on this matter during the 62nd session of the General Assembly.

Security Council reform is the most important remaining objective adopted by Heads of State and Government in the 2005 World Summit. On that occasion, the leaders supported early reform of the Council. Recent debates have again shown that no UN reform will be complete without Security Council reform.

The G4 welcomes the new momentum created during the 61st session of the General Assembly. The G4 States will continue to actively and constructively participate in the reform process, in order to achieve concrete results, including through intergovernmental negotiations, during the 62nd session of the General Assembly.

The G4 firmly believes that a Security Council that fully reflects today's political realities will be more representative and, therefore, more legitimate and effective. The G4 remains committed, with flexibility and open-mindedness, to a meaningful reform on the basis of expansion in the permanent and non-permanent categories, with developing and developed countries in both, and enhanced working methods.

New York, 1 October 2007