At AU, President Ernest Koroma to present UN Security Council Reform report

Published on July 26, 2010 by Cocorioko News · No Comments

President-Ernest-Bai-Koroma-The-Sierra-Leone-Leader

Sierra Leone’s President, His Excellency Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma , will be presenting the Seventh Report of the Committee on the Reform of the United Nations Security Council to the African Union during the 15th Summit of the Union currently going on in Kampala, Uganda. President Koroma is the Coordinator of C-10 ( The Committee of 10 African states tasked with negotiating Security Council Reform on behalf of Africa ).

During his presentation, President Koroma will give the AU a descriptive account of the current status of the Security Council negotiations after which other African heads of state and representatives of governments will give their views and suggestions about the way forward, leading to a possible resolution commending C-10 and calling on them to continue the negotiations on Africa’s behalf. The AU may also likely consider a proposal tabled by the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya at the last AU Summit in Addis Ababa Ethiopia and this month before the African Group in New York , calling on the UN to grant Africa one seat now while the negotiations are still going on , to address the historiacal injustice which sees Africa with 52 members and about whom is concerned 65% of the issues considered by the UN not being represented in the Permanent Category of the main decision-making body of the UN.

Africa favors expansion in both the permanent and non-permanent categories of the Security Council, which means the allocation of no less than 2 permanent seats for Africa with all the prerogatives and privileges of permanent membership to be extended to all Permanent Members and a total of 5 non-permanent seats with the selection of all such representatives to be done by the African Union for submission to the General Assembly for election.

On the question of the Veto, Africa believes that it should be abolished but if it exists it should be extended to all new Permanent Members. On the issue of Regional Representation Africa supports a reform that will ensure Africa’s legitimate right to fair and equitable geographical representation in the Security Council taking into account the principle, objectives and ideals of the United Nations Charter for a fairer world based on universalism, equity and regional balance within the United Nations System. On the size of an enlarged Security Council Africa is advocating a more representative and inclusive council that should consist of a total of 26 members.

The Fifth Round of the intergovernmental negotiations on UN Security Council Reform at the Informary Plenary at the United Nations had just ended after six Exchanges between July 2 and 12. In the UN, Sierra Leone leads the negotiations on behalf of Africa as the Coordinator of C-10.

The President is represented on C-10 in the United Nations by the Premanent Representative , H.E. Shekou Momodu Turay, who is the Chair ; Hon. Leeroy Wilfred Kabs-Kanu, who is the Coordinator ; Deputy Permanent Representative Ambassador Rupert Davies and Counselor Mannah Kpukumu.