President Julius Maada Bio
By Ralph Sesay
President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, who also doubles as the Coordinator for the Committee of Ten Heads of State and Government on the reform of the United Nations Security Council, has told the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York that the Organization has, in 2005, made a pledge to strengthen the United Nations with a view to enhancing its authority and efficiency; as well as its capacity in line with the purposes and principles of its Charter.
He noted that, even though a number of gains have been made, including the establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission and the Human rights Council, the need for reform of the Security Council is urgent and imperative.
‘We should now endeavor to demonstrate the political will to particularly address the historical injustices done to the African continent,’ President Bio noted.
The C10 Chairman continued that, the present geopolitical realities are compelling for a comprehensive reform of the Security Council to make way for equitable representation in all organs of the United Nations.
Africa, President Bio told world leaders, is the only region without representation in the permanent category of the Security Council, while also stating that the continent is under-represented in the Non-permanent category.
‘…Africa’s demand for two permanent seats with all the rights and prerogatives of current members, including the right of veto and two additional Non-permanent seats, is a matter of common justice, and the right to have an equal say in decision-making on issues that affect the African region.It is time that we addressed this longstanding injustice and imbalance perpetuated in the present configuration of the Security Council without any further delay’, the C10 Chairman emphasized.
As coordinator of the African Union Committee of Ten Heads of State and Government, on the reform of the United Nations, President Bio also reiterated the concern of his colleague African Heads of State and their people over what he referred to as the continuous inaction of the United Nations to adopt measures that will lead to Africa taking its rightful place in the Security Council.
The African continent, President Bio concluded, has a population of 1.2 billion,out of the world’s 7.5 billion population, and that it has continued to play its own fair share in the maintenance of global peace and security.
‘About 70% of the decisions made at the United Nations Security Council ultimately affect those 1.2 billion Africans.Those 1.2 billion Africans are affected by over 70% of the United Nations’ resolutions,’ President Bio informed the Assembly.
He urged world leaders to incorporate the voices of these 1.2 billion Africans into the decision making at the United Nations Security Council, noting that unless it is able to contend with the reform of the Security Council the organization will be seemingly constituted on undemocratic and discriminatory principles.
The President of Sierra Leone took over the Chairmanship of C10 from former President Ernest Bai Koroma and this is his first maiden address before world leaders as both President of Sierra Leone and Chairman of C10.
Many Sierra Leoneans, both at home and abroad, who have listened to his maiden address at the UNGA, have sensed the frustration and urgency on the part of President Bio to get the United Nations to offer Africa two seats at the Security Council and other additional two seats at the Non–permanent category.