My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed a range of UN issues with Ban Ki-moon, the new UN Secretary-General, on 25 January. I and my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Foreign Secretary and other senior Cabinet members also discussed UN reform issues with Mr. Ban during his visit to London in December 2006. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials maintain regular dialogue with UN member states and officials on reform issues.
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not held recent discussions with Secretary Rice on reform of the UN. However Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials maintain close contact with US partners on the issue.
We share a common vision with the United States on the UN: we want to see continued momentum on reform of the organisation, to ensure it remains effective in addressing modern challenges of security, human rights and sustainable development.
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not held recent discussions with her UN counterparts on reform of the UN Security Council. However, it is an issue that is raised with us regularly by UN partners.
Our position is well known: the UK supports expansion of both permanent and non-permanent membership of the Security Council, to make it more representative of today's world. We support the candidatures of Germany, Japan, India and Brazil for permanent seats on an enlarged Council, as well as permanent African representation. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister reiterated this, and called for renewed momentum to the debate on reform of the UN Security Council, in his speech at the world economic forum in Davos on 27 January.