Africa’s Strong Case for Reforms of UN Security Council Led by Sierra Leone Presidency — Global Issues

President Bio is the coordinator of the African Union Committee of Ten Heads of State and Authorities on UNSC Reform, generally known as C-10, a platform he makes use of to amplify his UNSC reform advocacy.

This yr, he has been significantly vocal, as Sierra Leone at present holds a non-permanent seat on the Safety Council and presides over the Council for the month of August.

For instance, in his assertion within the Safety Council chambers on 12 August, President Bio emphasised the outdated nature of the present UNSC construction. “The present construction of the Safety Council displays an outdated world order, an period that fails to acknowledge Africa’s rising significance and contributions,” he remarked.

In a subsequent interview with Africa Renewal, the president identified that the continent is dwelling to 1.3 billion individuals and 54 of the 193 UN member states—a major a part of the worldwide neighborhood.

“We can’t simply be a territory for proxy wars. We all know what our issues are, and we must always have a say in the best way to resolve them,” he asserted, including that greater than 60 p.c of the problems mentioned within the Safety Council pertain to Africa.

It’s unjust for Africa to be sidelined within the twenty first century, he argued, declaring: “I name on all African leaders and on all those that stand for justice and democracy around the globe to struggle this unfairness.”

Because the UN prepares to rejoice its eightieth anniversary in 2025, President Bio asserted that the celebration would solely be significant if the present configuration of the Council is reformed, reflecting the frustration of many African leaders who really feel the continent’s issues are sometimes missed.

Africa’s calls for

Africa is demanding not less than two everlasting seats within the UN Safety Council and two further non-permanent seats, bringing the overall variety of non-permanent seats to 5.

Moreover, Africa advocates for the abolition of the veto energy. Nonetheless, if the veto is retained, President Bio insisted that it have to be prolonged to all new everlasting members as a matter of justice.

The President broke down the potential assist for Africa’s push for higher illustration on the Safety Council into two classes: assist from throughout the continent and assist from main world powers.

Whereas assist from throughout the continent comes naturally, he acknowledged the challenges posed by the P-5, (the 5 everlasting members of the Safety Council), who wield huge energy within the Council. “The primary problem we’ve got is the P-5. They’re manning the gate. They must allow us to in.”

Regardless of these challenges, he was inspired that “They have acknowledged the truth that Africa has been handled unfairly.”

He harassed: “There’s a new spirit; the world has modified, and leaders have come and gone. What I am making an attempt to do is persuade my colleagues in Africa and the world at giant that the injustice completed to Africa can’t be accepted.”

The United Nations Secretary-Common, António Guterres, helps Africa’s calls for for UNSC reforms. “We can’t settle for that the world’s preeminent peace and safety physique lacks a everlasting voice for a continent of nicely over a billion individuals — a younger and quickly rising inhabitants — making up 28 p.c of the membership of the United Nations,” Guterres stated on the 12 August assembly.

He added, “Nor can we settle for that Africa’s views are undervalued on questions of peace and safety, each on the continent and around the globe.”

To make sure the Council’s full credibility and legitimacy, he emphasised the significance of “heeding the longstanding calls from the UN Common Meeting, numerous geographic teams — from the Arab Group to the Benelux, Nordic, and CARICOM nations — and a few everlasting members of this Council itself, to appropriate this injustice.”

I name on all African leaders and on all those that stand for justice and democracy around the globe to struggle this unfairness.

Classes from Sierra Leone’s civil battle

Sierra Leone’s brutal civil battle (1991-2002) could have formed President Bio’s views on battle decision and worldwide diplomacy.

“After all of the combating, after all of the destruction, we resolved our issues on the negotiating desk,” he mirrored, emphasizing the significance of dialogue and consensus-building.

Drawing from Sierra Leone’s expertise, he envisioned Africa enjoying an necessary position in world peace and safety. “We have now discovered rather a lot—partnership, multilateralism, dialogue, and the necessity to construct consensus.

“What we’re bringing to the desk throughout the UN Safety Council is how we generally is a bridge, how we will assist multilateralism as a manner for peace and safety around the globe.”

Girls’s empowerment

Past world governance, Sierra Leone has adopted progressive gender insurance policies underneath President Bio’s management. For instance, the nation handed a regulation mandating, amongst different provisions, that not less than 30 p.c of positions in each the non-public and public sectors, together with within the cupboard, be held by ladies—an enormous step towards gender equality.

Earlier this yr, Sierra Leone additionally enacted a regulation banning youngster marriage.

“It will be improper for us to speak about improvement should you maintain greater than half of your inhabitants within the kitchen or don’t empower them sufficient to be a part of the drive that’s going to alter the nation,” he declared.

Empowering ladies, he harassed, begins with schooling. This give attention to schooling is a part of a broader technique to remodel Sierra Leone’s human capital, which President Bio considers the nation’s most dear useful resource.

He stated: “Once you speak about Sierra Leone, you consider diamonds, gold, and different pure sources. I’ve stated to my nation, sure, these are treasured minerals, however a very powerful sources we’ve got on this nation are the individuals.”

Local weather change

As a pacesetter of one of many world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, President Bio highlighted Sierra Leone’s challenges in dealing with more and more extreme climate patterns. “When it rains, it rains so closely that it overwhelms the infrastructure. We have seen vehicles floating, we have seen homes swept away,” he famous, drawing parallels with comparable disasters in additional developed nations.

In response, Sierra Leone has launched a nationwide local weather motion marketing campaign specializing in reforestation, enhancing drainage methods, and educating the general public on the significance of the setting.

“Combating local weather change requires collective motion, each domestically and globally,” he emphasised.

On the problem of capital flight from Africa, President Bio underscored his deep sense of pleasure in African identification and potential. He urged Africans to accumulate information and expertise from the West and to convey again these classes to construct their societies again in Africa.

“House is dwelling. No person’s going to repair that dwelling. We have to repair that dwelling,” he insisted.

Supply: Africa Renewal

IPS UN Bureau

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© Inter Press Service (2024) — All Rights ReservedOriginal supply: Inter Press Service

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