Africa Must Have A Fair Presence In The UN Security Council By 2015, Says Equatorial Guinea

UN body should reflect changes in the world since UN's founding in 1945, ambassador tells General Assembly.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Anatolio Ndong Mba, Equatorial Guinea Permanent Representative to the United Nations, has called for Africa and other continents to have a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.

The ambassador made the remarks during the debates over equitable participation of members in the UN Security Council, which took place at the 68^th UN General Assembly Plenary Session on November 7.

A UN recent statement highlighted debate speakers' call for a permanent Africa seat in the UN Security Council. "The expansion of the Security Council with more balanced and equitable representation, especially regarding Africa, had gained broad support among delegates, as the General Assembly concluded its debate on reform of the 15-member body."

During his speech, Ambassador Ndong Mba said that reform had been discussed for many decades and that it is time to recognize the right of countries in all regions to be represented on the Security Council. He noted that it was right for Africa to have a permanent seat. "Isn't it fair to recognize the rights of all countries, and all regions to have a proper and lawful representation in the Security Council of the United Nations?" Ambassador Ndong Mba said. "Is it not time that the African continent, which is the region with more member states, be acknowledged the right to have permanent representatives in the Security Council and the right to veto?"

He said it was inconceivable that the African continent, which has more than a billion people, didn't have a seat on the Security Council.

Ambassador Ndong Mba called for negotiations that would "lead…the United Nations [to adapt] to the challenges and obstacles of an international order totally different from what existed 68 years ago, a new world very different from when the United Nations was established, a world that is not the product of war but of technological innovations, a world within the UN rights advocates, dialogue, democracy, transparency, good governance. It is therefore a reality that must be configured within the institutions of the United Nations in general and the Security Council in particular."

Ambassador Ndong Mba repeated President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo's statement during the 68^th UNGA: "We need to be honest with ourselves, with a just and equitable system, democracy must reign amongst the UN organs, as an epicenter of an international community that seeks peace, order and development."

"My country and government believe that all the States, regions, and interest groups are called to speak in the context of this reform process, for an equal, objective and impartial representation on the Security Council and the United Nations system. This is our desire, the desire for a restructuring of the Security Council in particular and the United Nations system, taking into account the interests of all states and geographical regions that form the international community," said Ambassador Ndong Mba.

About Equatorial Guinea
The Republic of Equatorial Guinea (Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial) is the only Spanish-speaking country in Africa, and one of the smallest nations on the continent. In the late-1990s, American companies helped discover the country's oil and natural gas resources, which only within the last five years began contributing to the global energy supply. Equatorial Guinea is now working to serve as a pillar of stability and security in its region of West Central Africa. The country hosted the 2011 Summit of the African Union. For more information, visit http://www.guineaecuatorialpress.com.

SOURCE Republic of Equatorial Guinea

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