CM/Res. I (I)
AFRICA’S REPRESENTATION AT THE UNITED NATIONS
The Council of Ministers meeting in its First Ordinary Session in Dakar, Senegal, from 2 to 11 August 1963,
Whereas, when the United Nations Charter was adopted in 1945 and the Gentlemen’s agreement was concluded in London in 1946, only three independent and sovereign African States out of the 51 States were members of the Organization at the time, that is 1/17 th of the total membership.
Whereas in 1963, Africa has 32 Member States, that is almost one-third of the total membership of the Organization, and that other African States will shortly increase this proportion,
Considering the absence of any specific representation of Africa in certain United Nations agencies and Africa’s marked under -representation in all the major and subsidiary bodies of the Organization,
Considering the extreme urgency attached by African States to redress this grave injustice committed to the detriment of new Member States in general and African States in particular,
Recalling the stand taken categorically and unanimously by all Heads of State and Government of independent African States at the Addis Ababa conference in favour of the just representation of Africa in all organs of the United Nations and their specialized institutions,
Whereas this indispensable redress must take place on the basis of the principles of equality of Member States and equitable geographic distribution enshrined in the Charter of the Organization of the United Nations,
Being of the opinion that this redress, which the African States claim out of considerations of justice, equity and dignity requires both the amendment of the Charter in accordance with its Article 108 and the redistribution of all existing and future seats,
Noting that the amendment of the Charter requires, in accordance with the provisions of Article 108, the unanimous agreement of all the permanent Members of the Security Council,
RESOLVES to ask the Members of the African Group at the United Nations to redouble their efforts with a view to achieving, in the best circumstances possible, the just representation of Africa by means of the amendment of the Charter and the redistribution of all existing and future seats;
APPEALS with confidence to the Member States at the United Nations, and in the first place to the permanent Members of the Security Council, to facilitate the successful outcome of the just and pressing African claims by not opposing any longer the amendment and the revision of the Charter;
RESOLVES finally to make all the necessary effort to bring to a successful outcome, at all costs, the justified claims of African States so as to enable them, on the acquisition of their just representation, to participate effectively in the United Nations work for peace, and this during the 18th session of the General Assembly;
SOLEMNLY DECLARES that any impediments placed on the path of the African States by any Member State of the United Nations in the effort of the African States to attain this objective shall be regarded as an unfriendly act by all Member States of the Organization of African Unity.