United Nations/New Delhi, Oct 28 (UNI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said that while African states constitute more than one-fourth of the UN membership, continued denial of representation to them in the UNSC permanent membership “is a blot on the collective credibility of the Security Council”.
Participating in the UNSC High Level Open Debate on Cooperation between the UN and regional & subregional organizations, with a special focus on the African Union, Jaishankar also said that India and Africa share a unique and historical relationship and “We believe that Africa’s rise is essential for true multi-polarity in the global order and are committed to supporting that happening.”
He said the international community needs to pay close attention to the African voice and wisdom. “No one can know Africa better than Africans themselves. We have seen from history, that offering "external” solutions to African problems without African involvement, has not served the interests of the African people. This skewed approach needs to change,” he stressed.
He said the change should begin here, in the Security Council itself.
“Given the fact that nearly seventy percent of Chapter VII mandate resolutions are on Africa, a strong and effective partnership between the United Nations with the African Union (AU), has to be the foundational edifice,” he said.
“While we have existing mechanisms of cooperation broadly based on the principles enshrined in the Chapter VIII of the UN Charter, what is glaring is the fact that while African states constitute more than one-fourth of the UN membership, their continued denial of representation in the permanent category of membership, is a blot on the collective credibility of this Council.
“While India has always supported the Ezulwini consensus and called for permanent African representation in an expanded Council, those who are responsible for denial by delay and perpetuating an historical injustice must be called out,” the EAM emphasised.
The Ezulwini Consensus (2005) was based on the idea of regional representation, while the current UN system focuses on representation of countries on the basis of their individual merit.
“India appreciates because of its own experience that the root cause for conflicts in Africa lie in its colonial history,” he said, and outlined five points.
He said firstly, on matters related to peace and security, the Security Council should respect the regional approach adopted by countries involved, and work in collaboration with regional organizations to address these shared challenges.
Secondly, the spread of terrorism in Africa, as evident from the challenges faced in the Sahel, Somalia, and central and east Africa, is a matter of serious concern.
“The initiatives undertaken by AMISOM, G-5 Sahel Joint Force, and Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) need more robust support from the Security Council and the international community. We endorse the call of the Secretary General to support African counter-terrorism operations with sustained financing, including through assessed contributions.”
Thirdly, he said the UN Peacekeeping Operations and Special Political Missions, need to be sufficiently mandated and resourced to implement respective mandates. “Our experience in peacekeeping in Africa shows that missions often struggle to implement ambitious mandates. Peacekeeping missions should have a clear and well thought out exit strategy.”
Fourthly, while UN-AU strategic partnership has grown over the years, collective peacebuilding efforts still lag behind in other areas, Jaishankar stressed.
“A more meaningful peacebuilding partnership between the UN and the AU, based on inter-institutional cooperation that focusses on harnessing comparative strengths to complement each other in pursuing the ultimate goal of peace and security in the region is indeed needed.”
Fifthly, he said in order to resolve the issues that divide the UNSC and the AU Peace and Security Council (AU-PSC), it is important to re-energize and strengthen liaison mechanisms. He said the A3 members – or the three African non-permanent members of the UNSC --
can play an important role in this.
On India’s outreach in Africa, he said the two sides share a unique and historical relationship. “Our approach to this partnership was enunciated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018 through Ten Guiding Principles. We have worked with Africa as per Africa’s priorities, Africa’s comfort and Africa’s aspirations.
“We believe that Africa’s rise is essential for true multi-polarity in the global order and are committed to supporting that happening. India’s support has always been without any conditionalities or any hidden agenda. This is visible in our 184 projects in 41 African countries implemented under concessional finance.
“It is expressed in the medicines, vaccines, health equipment, ambulances, vehicles and food grains we have provided to many African nations. It is evident in the vocational training and IT centers set up across Africa, in the 50,000 education and training slots extended over the last five years, and the digital education and health programs with 19 African partners. Our trade and technology exchanges are steadily growing, in line with closer political and people-to-people ties,” be elaborated.
He reiterated India’s abiding and steadfast commitment towards an effective partnership between the United Nations and the African Union.
“We believe that this partnership is crucial for responding collectively, coherently and decisively to prevent, manage and resolve violent conflicts and promote peace and development in Africa.”
UNI/RN