Malawi’s JB meets Sir McKinnon over New Zealand UN seat bid
Malawi President Joyce Banda on Thursday hosted Sir Donald Charles McKinnon, Special Envoy for the Prime Minister of New Zealand in the Capital, Lilongwe where New Zealand’s bid for a seat on the UN Security Council was the main agenda issue.
McKinnon, who was the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations from 2000 until 2008, told journalists after the meeting at Kamuzu Palace that they had fruitful discussions with President Banda and “requested her to support New Zealand’s bid for the seat”.
“The President did not give me an answer outright; she will obviously have to discuss our plea with her cabinet and her Minister of Foreign Affairs and we hope they will support her,” said Sir McKinnon, who added she had known President Banda “for many, many, many years”.
He said they also discussed enhancing bilateral cooperation between Malawi and New Zealand in various areas, especially in agriculture, considering the two countries “were agricultural countries”.
During the meeting, Sir McKinnon said he also conveyed a goodwill message to President Banda, the Government and the People of Malawi from the Prime Minister of New Zealand, John Key.
The 2014 United Nations Security Council elections will be held in October 2014 during the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly, held at United Nations Headquarters in New York City.
The elections are for five non-permanent seats on the UN Security Council for two-year mandates commencing January 1, 2015. In accordance with the Security Council’s rotation rules, whereby the 10 non-permanent UNSC seats rotate among the various regional blocs into which UN member states traditionally divide themselves for voting and representation purposes, the five available seats are allocated each to Africa; the Asia-Pacific Group; Latin America; and two for the Western European and Others Group
The five members will serve on the Security Council for the 2015–16 period.
