British prime Minister David Cameron (l), UN Segretary-General Ban Ki Moon (center) and US President Barrack Obama (r), at a previous UN security Council meeting. Photo (www.voanews.com)
The President of the Republic of Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso and his counterpart from Democratic Republic of Congo Joseph Kabila have reiterated their support for Africa’s push for reforms at the UN Security Council, according to Africa News.
The two heads of state spoke at a meeting held earlier this week in Oyo, Congo, where they declared their full support for “The Ezulwini Consensus,” which was established in 2005 by the African Union.
The consensus requires Africa to have two permanent and two non-permanent seats at the UN Security Council, which is mandated to handle matters relating to peace and security.
“Africa expects that a significant proportion of Africans would be recruited via this process, at middle and high managerial levels, especially in the peacekeeping and political affairs departments,” the African Union recommended in the Ezulwini Consensus.
At the 68th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe echoed the notion that Africa needs to have a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.
United Nations Security Council
Established in 1946, the UN Security Council is made up of 15 members – five permanent and 10 non-permanent members. Out of the 15 members, Africa has only three non-permanent members.
Each of the 15 members has only one vote and all member states are obliged to comply with council decisions. It is the council’s responsibility to determine if there exists a threat to peace or an act of aggression.
The council is also required to promote peace by bringing any warring factions together to mediate a peaceful settlement.
In some instances, the UN Security Council is expected to recommend terms of settlement, and sometimes it can impose sanctions or authorize use of force to restore peace and security.
It is the work of the Security Council to recommend to the General Assembly the appointment of the UN Secretary-General as well as the admission of new member states to the United Nations.
The council also participates in electing judges to the International Court of Justice.
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