African Union position on UN Security Council reforms unchanged
Regional-UN, Politics, 8/5/2005

African Union extraordinary summit on Thursday evening wrapped up its sessions, held at the AU headquarters in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

The summit rejected the Nigerian proposal on the need to show more flexibility towards forging a unified African stance on the expansion of the UN Security Council membership. The proposal had called for abandoning the veto right for Africa's bid to get two permanent seats on the Security Council and for abandoning the fifth seat of non-permanent members in the Council.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said the majority of AU member states, including Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Congo, Mali, rejected the proposal.

Abul Gheit further said the summit agreed on forming a new group of action at the level of heads of state; two leaders from each African five zones, which means the group will comprise ten African leaders.

According to the Egyptian FM, the closed session witnessed sharp and serious debates on this issue.

Meantime, JANA reported that Libya sent in the past two days letters to head of states of African Union members states, in which he underlined the importance of the unity of the African continent regarding UN reform, through Sert summit resolutions that highlighted vigorously that Africa has one voice in strategic international issues. Sert 's AU summit asked for two permanent seats for Africa with all prerogatives including the veto right as well as five non-permanent seats.

Diplomants have earlier indicated on the need that the different regions of Africa be represented in such reforms, with concern that changes to the Sert agreement can weaken north and east African countries representation.

It is worth noting that some see the Security Council without veto right to be of little value, in light of the fact that 5 permanent countries on the council have such veto power which they have used to block critical issues to the international community, in general.

Previous Stories:
  UN Security Council reforms face critical decisions   (8/2/2005)
  UN Security Council reform discussions intensify   (7/15/2005)
  Arab League calls for a meeting of Security Council on Apartheid wall   (7/15/2005)

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