South Africa is lobbying European Union member states to support its aspirations to be elected as a non-permanent member of the Union Nations Security Council for the period 2019-2020.
President Jacob Zuma has met with the President of the EU Commission Jean Claude Juncker on the sidelines of the 5th AU-EU Summit underway in Ivory Coast’s commercial capital of Abidjan.
Pretoria has occupied the non-permanent of the council twice in the past.
The 5th African Union-European Union summit is a gathering to attract a two-way trade and investment into both continents.
But for some, it is also a gathering to lobby for their countries’ interest.
President Zuma once again was on a charm offensive at this gathering campaigning for South Africa’s third turn as a non-permanent member of the all-important UN Security Council.
He first made the country’s case at the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in September in 2017.
President Zuma lobbied EU member states through the President of the EU Commission to support Pretoria’s 2019-2020 bid which would the third turn for the country since 1994.
South Africa’s ambassador to the African Union Ndumiso Ntshinga says Africa should be given a nod as countries of the continent have significantly embraced democratic principles.
“As we know we have done a lot as a continent on governance and better than 10 years to 15 years ago, we have now decided to collaborate with the EU looking at the question of governance which also includes from the perspective of the gender issues.”
The reform of the United Nations and its Security Council has been a long battle for African continent. Currently it’s most powerful the Security Council only has permanent members wielding veto powers.
They include Britain, America, France, Russia and China. But boasting over 50 countries in the UN, the African continent only get rotational and non-permanent seat in the 15 member Security Council which is South Africa is now vying for.
Meanwhile, civil society organisations also want their voices heard in the highest decision making conferences.
Oxfam’s Magalie Laliberte says as 54 African countries and their 28 European counterparts meet here in Abidjan in a bid to improve the living conditions of their respective citizens, civil society organisations must also be on board.
“This is really an opportunity to develop the positive narrative on the African and European governments should engage on development and migration and ensure these policies work for the people of both continents and we do call on all governments to ensure participation of civil society in the monitoring and implementation of joint projects and action plan 2018- 2022.”
Laliberte also welcomed the progress made since the last Africa-EU summit and a commitment by both continents to improve the living conditions young people.
“Oxfam welcomes the summit focus on youth, we also welcome the fact that the youth is involved in the summit however we welcome the honesty on the progress made since 2014 Brussels summit and the fact that they were not satisfactory.”
With the African continent still grappling to silence the gun by 2020 as directed by the AU Agenda 2063, delegates will also discuss the issue of peace and security as well as mobility and migration in the two continents.
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