Africa wants on UN council

2005-07-14 11:18

New York - An African draft resolution calling for six new permanent seats with veto power on the United Nations security council, including two for Africa, was formally submitted to the general assembly on Wednesday, African diplomats said.

But the draft was introduced on a individual basis by some African countries rather than on behalf of the entire 54-member African bloc, one diplomat said.

Earlier a negotiating team mandated by the African Union (AU) and led by Nigerian foreign minister Olu Adeniji said although Africans would introduce their draft, they remained open to negotiations with other groups on rival proposals.

"Africa has a position which it wants to place on the record but the African Union does not exclude negotiations with other groups," said Adeniji who came to promote the African draft.

US opposes draft resolution

Adeniji's remarks came a day after the United States (US) urged the assembly to oppose a draft resolution submitted by Brazil, Germany, India and Japan, which calls for enlarging the security council from 15 members to 25, with six new permanent seats without veto power, including two for Africa, and four non-permanent seats.

At present, Britain, China, France, Russia and the US are the only permanent and veto-wielding members of the security council, which also has 10 rotating non-permanent members without veto power.

The Africans want a 26-member security council, with six new permanent seats with veto power, including two for Africa, and five non-permanent seats, including two for Africa.

A so-called "United for Consensus" group led by Pakistan, Argentina, Canada, Italy and Mexico is circulating a third draft asking for 10 new non-permanent council members who would be elected for two years as is the case at present, but with the possibility of immediate re-election.

No veto power

Washington favours adding only two new permanent seats with no veto power, including one for Japan.

The G4 is lobbying for support from the Africans, arguing that they would be the big winner by gaining two permanent council seats if the G4 proposal was adopted.

G4 foreign ministers are travel to New York this weekend for a final meeting and hope to have a vote on their draft early next week.

"We are open to negotiating with all groups and then we will sort out which (proposals) are very close (to ours)," said Adeniji. "We don't know what it will take for us to convince them to support our draft and they don't know what it will take them to convince us (to support theirs)."

He stressed however no resolution from other groups stood a chance of being adopted in the assembly without the bloc vote of Africa.

- AFP