Evidence wa ka Ngobeni
President Thabo Mbeki is set to use his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on the weekend to launch a major drive for Africa’s inclusion in international bodies such as the UN Security Council.
The inclusion of the African continent on the Security Council has been the subject of negotiations between African countries and the West for the past eight years. No progress has been made and the matter has faded from international attention.
Foreign affairs officials, who form part of the South African delegation to the General Assembly, say Mbeki will attempt to reinstate the issue on the international agenda.
The South African government believes the current composition and deficiencies within the Security Council “continue to harm the legitimacy and credibility of the council and the wider UN”.
The government also believes that the current composition of the Security Council is not representative of the changed international environment, which has witnessed a dramatic rise in the number of UN members from the developing world, in particular from Africa.
Mbeki, who will be the third speaker on the opening session of the general debate on Saturday, is also expected to call for the transformation of the International Monetary Fund and the formation of a world economic system that can benefit developing countries.
He will update world leaders about the progress of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, which promotes the eradication of poverty, development, security and multilateral cooperation in Africa.
Deputy Director General of the Department of Foreign Affairs Abdul Minty said Mbeki will engage key state leaders, including United States President George W Bush. Although their discussion will be broad, the two will focus on Africa’s call for equal representation in the Security Council.
The United States is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, with China, Britain, France and Russia. Minty said the permanent members who have veto power have been stonewalling Africa’s efforts to be represented on the council. The remaining 10 seats on the council rotate among all other members of the United Nations, none of whom have veto power.
Initially, Minty said, Africa was demanding two UN Security Council seats. But the permanent members turned that down and said that even if Africa is awarded a single seat it will not have veto power.
“They say they will not give Third World countries veto power. We believe that the seat must come with that so that Africa can have a say on the decisions that are taken,” he said, adding that the South African government will continue to press for the promotion of peace, stability and security in the Africa continent.