DECISION ON AFRICAN CANDIDATURES
WITHIN THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM
Doc. EX.CL/1066(XXXII)
The Executive Council,
1. TAKES NOTE of the Report of the Ministerial Committee on African Candidatures within the International System;
2. ENDORSES:
(i) for Membership of the Committee of Experts of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, during elections scheduled for June 2018, at the 11th Conference of State Parties, the candidatures of:
• Mrs Gertrude Oforiwa Fefoame, of the Republic of Ghana;
• Dr. Heba Hagras, MP, of the Arab Republic of Egypt;
(ii) for Membership of the United Nations Human Rights Committee on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, for the period 2019- 2022, during elections scheduled for 14 June 2018 in New York at the 36th Meeting of State Parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the candidature of:
a) Professor Yadh Ben Achour of the Republic of Tunisia;
(iii) for Membership of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, for the period 2019-2022 during elections scheduled for June 2018 in New York, the candidature of:
a) Ambassador Naela Gabrofthe Arab Republic of Egypt;
(iv) for Membership of United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, for the period 2019-2022, during elections scheduled for June 2018 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, the candidature of;
a) Ambassador Gehad Mady of the Arab Republic of Egypt;
(v) for Membership of the International Law Commission (ILC) for the period 2022-2026, during elections scheduled for November 2018, the candidature of:
a) Mr Louis Savadogo, of Burkina Faso;
(vi) For the post of President of the Fourth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, the candidature of H.E. Lewis Brown of the Republic of Liberia;
(vii) For the post of President of the Sixth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, the candidature of H.E. Necton D. Mhura of the Republic of Malawi;
(viii) For the post of Chairman of the United Nations International Civil Service Commission for the period 2019-2022, during elections scheduled for the 73rd Ordinary Session of the United Nations General Assembly in November 2018, in New York, the candidatures of:
a) Mr Larbi Djacta, of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria;
b) Ambassador El Hassane Zahid, of the Kingdom of Morocco.
(ix) For the post of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) for the term 2019-2023, at the elections to be held by ECOSOC during the Coordination and Management Meetings in April 2018 in New York, the candidature of:
a) The Republic of South Africa
3. ALSO TAKES NOTE of and DECIDES to endorse the following candidatures:
(i) For Membership of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for the period 2018-2020, during elections scheduled for September 2018 in Vienna, at the IAEA General Conference, the candidature of:
a) The Arab Republic of Egypt
(ii) For Membership of the Board of the International Telecommunication Union Council, for the period 2019-2022, during elections scheduled to hold at the Plenipotentiary Conference in November 2018, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the candidatures of:
a) the Arab Republic of Egypt;
b) the Republic of Kenya;
c) the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria;
d) the Republic of South Africa;
e) Burkina Faso;
f) the Togolese Republic.
NB: The Committee decided to endorse these candidatures in addition to that of the Federal Republic of Nigeria endorsed in July 2017, and leave the other five (5) positions to be held by Africa in the Council open.
(iii) For Membership of the Radio Regulations Board of the international Telecommunication Union, during elections scheduled to hold at the Plenipotentiary Conference in November 2018, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the candidatures of:
a) the Arab Republic of Egypt (Dr Elsayed Azzoz);
b) the Republic of South Africa.
(iv) as Non-Permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council, for the period 2019-2020, during elections scheduled for June 2018, at the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly the candidature of:
a) the Republic of South Africa.
(v) for the post of Vice-President of the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly, the candidatures of:
a) the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria;
b) Burkina Faso;
c) the Democratic Republic of Congo;
d) the Republic of The Gambia;
e) the Republic of Namibia;
f) the Republic of The Sudan.
(vi) for Membership of the United Nations Economic and Social Council for the period 2019-2021, during elections scheduled at the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly, the candidatures of;
a) the Republic of Angola;
b) the Arab Republic of Egypt;
c) the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia;
d) the Republic of Kenya ;
e) the Republic of Mali.
(vii) For the post of Assistant Secretary General for Social, Cultural and Humanitarian Affairs of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the candidature of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
4. FURTHER TAKES NOTE OF AND DECIDES:
(i) to refer the candidature of the Republic of Kenya as Non-Permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council, for the period 2021- 2022 for consideration by the region;
(ii) to refer to the June 2018 Session, the candidature of Dr. Maurice Kengne Kamga of the Republic of Cameroon for the post of Judge at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), during elections to be held at the 30th Meeting of State Parties in June 2020;
(iii) with regard to the post of Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau, during elections scheduled for 29 October to 26 November 2018 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, at the Plenipotentiary Conference, that the Committee recommends that the Executive Council:
a) refer to the Revised Rules of Procedure of the Ministerial Committee on African Candidatures within the International System, namely Article 14, as the best way of deciding between the two candidates. Moreover, since both candidates are equally competent, as required in Paragraph a, and enjoy good international reputation as stated under Paragraph b, the only remaining criteria is that of equitable geographical representation, as stipulated under Paragraph c to decide between the two candidates;
b) the decision endorsing the African candidate to this post should be taken at the January 2018 Summit, in order to avoid continued tension, and above all to give the candidate endorsed time to campaign. This should be done regardless of whether the Executive Council decides to refer to the Revised Rules of Procedure as recommended above or resort to a political solution;
c) request the two delegations to hold consultations and reach a decision before the Executive Council session, failing which, reference will be made to the criteria defined and the Rules of Procedure to decide between the two candidates.
(iv) with regard to the situation of Ghana:
a) takes note of the explanation provided by the Republic of Ghana, which expressed regret and presented mitigating circumstances for the submission of a candidate, which was not endorsed by the African Union, and the apology to the African Union and the Kingdom of Lesotho with an undertaking that such incidents would not occur again;
b) not to impose sanctions on Ghana in view of the apology and to issue a stern warning to Ghana to respect the Decisions and mechanisms established on African Candidatures within the International System;
(v) With regard to the post of Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau:
a) to call upon the Republic of Zimbabwe and the Federal Republic of Nigeria to continue consultations and to report on the outcome to the June/July 2018 Summit;
5. FURTHER DECIDES, taking into consideration the need to ensure effective follow-up on the candidatures endorsed, to reinforce follow-up mechanisms for decisions of the Executive Council on African candidatures within the international system and the adaptation of the Rules of Procedure of the Ministerial Committee on African Candidatures within the International System, to request:
(i) the Commission to take all the necessary steps to ensure substantial and multifaceted support for the election of the candidates endorsed, and speed up the establishment Sub-Committees on Candidatures within the African Groups that do not yet have one;
(ii) the PRC Sub-Committee on Budget to allocate an appropriate budget for the activities of the Ministerial Committee on African Candidatures within the International System responsible for the implementation of decisions on candidatures, the establishment of which had been decided upon by the Executive Council;
(iii) the Office of the Legal Counsel, in consultation with the Department of Political Affairs, the African Groups, and the PRC to work on a draft revision of the Rules of Procedure of the Ministerial Committee on African Candidatures within the International System to be presented to the next Session of the Executive Council in June/July 2018. The draft shall take into account the specific features of certain candidatures, as well as the establishment of a mechanism for follow-up on endorsed candidatures and decisions taken by Summits of the African Union, to ensure compliance with these decisions, and the effectiveness of votes in favour of African candidatures, and ensuring that Africa constantly speaks with a single voice as regards elections within the international system.