South Africa is ready to become a member of the United Nations Security Council, President Thabo Mbeki said on Friday.
Speaking at national Heritage Day celebrations in Galeshewe, Kimberley, Mbeki said that while he was at the 59th assembly of the UN this week, “many asked if South Africa would serve as a permanent member of the Security Council”.
He said while discussions are going on about the restructuring of the Security Council, the South African government is preparing to become a permanent member.
“South Africa is ready to serve the people of Africa and the people of the world in the Security Council,” Mbeki said.
His comments were supported in a statement from Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
She said: “On behalf of our government, I would like to confirm that South Africa is ready to assume this responsibility.
“Our government and people fully understand the immense responsibilities that would attach to this high position.
“We are ready to respond to this challenge, fully sensitive to the need to respect the interests and aspirations of all countries and peoples, and the imperative to build an equitable and humane global order.”
Germany, Japan, Brazil, and India recently put forward a united bid for permanent seats on the Security Council. The “G4 Nations” say the council must broaden its membership to represent the 21st-century international community.
Their recommendations also included an African permanent seat and an expansion of non-permanent council membership in their proposal.
According to Globalpolicy.org, the Security Council today still largely reflects the global power structure of 1945, though its membership was expanded from 11 to 15 in 1965.
The five World War II victors, France, China, the United States, the United Kingdom and the Russian Federation, have held on to their privileged status — they are “permanent”, non-elected members and can each veto any council decision.
This arrangement has been criticised for making the council both undemocratic and often ineffective. The few powerful members dominate UN policy and frequently veto widely accepted decisions in order to further their own interests.
Despite the geographical representation of the 10 elected members, the Security Council remains imbalanced in favour of the industrialised north. – Sapa
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