Decision on the Reform of the United Nations Security Council – Doc. Assembly/AU/4(XXVI)

Jurisdiction
African Regional Bodies · African Union (AU)
Citation
Assembly/AU/Dec.599(XXVI)
Regional Body / Author
Assembly of the African Union
Date
31 January 2016
Language
English
Type
Decision
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DECISION ON THE REFORM OF THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL
Doc. Assembly/AU/4(XXVI)

The Assembly,

  1. TAKES NOTE of the Seventeenth Report of the Committee of Ten Heads of State and Government on the Reform of the United Nations Security Council;

  2. RECALLS its previous Decisions Assembly/AU/Dec.564(XXIV), Assembly/AU/Dec.573(XXIII), Ext/Assembly/AU/Dec.1(IV), Assembly/AU/Dec.430 (XIX), Assembly/AU/Dec.485 (XXI) and Assembly/AU/Dec.574(XXV) on the Reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC);

  3. TAKES NOTE of the Committee of Ten Heads of State Consultative Summit held in Windhoek, Republic of Namibia on 15 January 2016 and the on-going high-level outreach consultations with other interest groups;

  4. ALSO TAKES NOTE of the progress made at both the intergovernmental negotiations and outreach with Member States of the United Nations in garnering support for the Common African Position as articulated in the Ezulwini Consensus and the 2005 Sirte Declaration;

  5. WELCOMES the support that the Common African Position continues to garner on UNSC reform;

  6. FURTHER WELCOMES UN General Assembly Decision 69/560 adopted by consensus to immediately continue with the intergovernmental negotiations in informal plenary during the 70th session building on the gains made as well as the informal meetings held during the 69th session;

  7. REAFFIRMS:

  1. That the Common African Position, as contained in the Ezulwini Consensus and the 2005 Sirte Declaration, shall continue to serve as the only viable option that reflects Africa’s legitimate right and aspiration to rectify, inter alia, the historical injustice endured by the Continent;

  2. Its unanimous and unequivocal adhesion to the Common African Position contained in the Ezulwini Consensus and the 2005 Sirte Declaration consisting of the claim of two (2) additional non-permanent seats and two (2) seats in the permanent category with same rights, privileges and obligations accorded to the current permanent members, including the right to veto.

  1. RESERVES the right to determine the criteria for the selection of the two (2) Member States to represent Africa in UNSC as Permanent Members;

  2. UNDERTAKES to defend, canvass and promote the African Union Common Position at the on-going intergovernmental negotiations on the reform of UNSC;

  3. URGES all Member States as follows:

  1. Continue to speak with one voice on all aspects of “the question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the UN Security Council and related matters’’;

  2. The need not to adhere to other negotiating groups or special interests, as it is not in keeping with the spirit of the Common African Position;

  3. Those that have not done so to include the issue of the UNSC reform among their foreign policy priorities in their engagements with non-African partners; in particular, the need to correct without further delay, the historical injustice that the African continent continues to suffer.

  1. DECIDES to include the following:

  1. An allocation in the Commission’s Budget for the purpose of funding the activities of the Committee of Ten and REQUESTS the Commission in collaboration with the Permanent Representatives’ Committee (PRC) to make adequate proposals in this regard to the Assembly through the Executive Council starting from the 2017 Budget;

  2. On the agenda of its closed session, on the margins of the 27th Ordinary Session of the Assembly scheduled for July 2016, an item on UNSC reform.

  1. REITERATES that the Committee of Ten remains seized of its mandate until Africa achieves its objectives on the reform of UNSC.

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