Nigeria bids for UN Security Council seat

Posted by admin Latest Politics, United Nations Thursday, October 17th, 2013

From AIDOGHIE PAULINUS, Abuja

Today, Nigeria will be slugging it out with countries from other regional bodies in the much-awaited election into the Non-Permanent United Nations Security Council (UNSC) seat.

Other regional blocks that are also contesting are: the Asia-Pacific Group, with 53 countries; Eastern European Group, with 23 countries; Latin America and Caribbean Group, with 33 countries; the Western European and other groups, with 28 countries and one observer member state.

According to laid down rules guiding the election, Nigeria would need two-third votes of members to secure the seat. The African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had endorsed Nigeria, in its bid for the UNSC seat. Another African country in the race is Chad.

The elections for the terms 2014-2015, is to replace the five countries that would be ending their tenures this year. In the African region, Morocco and Togo would be exiting, while Nigeria and Chad are set to replace them.

Nigeria has been campaigning vigorously, with President Goodluck Jonathan leading campaign. An example of such campaign is obvious in his address during the commencement of the ongoing 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where the president emphasised the need for Nigeria to return to the UNSC seat.

In the same vein, Jonathan intervened in the somewhat mini-crisis concerning the Gambia that earlier indicated interest to contest the UNSC seat, in spite of the unanimous endorsement of Nigeria’s bid by the AU and ECOWAS.

Also to boost Nigeria’s chances, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, left the country on Monday night to lead the final campaign for Nigeria’s election into the UNSC seat.

The minister had ,on the margins of the High Level Segment of the 68th Session of the UNGA, held bilateral talks with the Gambian Foreign Minister, Mrs. Susan Waff Ogoo, whose country is also bidding for the seat, but without AU or ECOWAS endorsement.

Onwuliri had campaigned vigorously at different international fora for Nigeria’s candidature. She held over 15 bilateral meetings at the 68th Session of UNGA, as well as the Nigerian Day organised by the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the UN on October 8, in New York, where Nigeria also solicited the support of the invited countries.

At the last count, 174 countries have pledged support for Nigeria’s candidacy. The country needs 137 countries, which is two-thirds, to win.

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