Mutharika maintain calls for reform of UN Security Council

Malawi President Peter Mutharika has repeated his calls for reforming and restructuring of the UN Security Council for collective action to tackle the world’s many conflicts, hotspots and challenges.

Speaking at the opening of a U.N. “peace summit” commemorating the 100th anniversary of  Nelson Mandela’s birth at  the  UN General Assembly Hall in New York,  Mutharika said the UN will make more progress protecting and maintaining peace by involving Africa in its decision-making processes.

“We therefore call upon the UN to expedite the debate on the Security Council Reforms,” said Mutharika.

He urged the UN to adopt the African Common position from the ‘Ezulwini Consensus.’

“We call upon the UN to accommodate African representation through  two Permanent Seats in the UN Security Council,” said Mutharika.

“As we celebrate the life of Nelson Mandela, a man with whom we share the same birthday, I urge us all to reflect on the role of Mandela played in peace-building.

“Let us also reflect the role Africa can play in this cause. The world needs Africa more than ever. Let us rise up and take our place in the global community,” said Mutharika.

This is not the first time for Mutharika to talk about UN Security Council reforms, in his address at the 70th United Nations (UN) general assembly in  2015, Mutharika commented on reforming the UN Security Council, saying he has closely monitored the intergovernmental negotiations on how the Security Council can be reformed to make it more representative, effective, transparent and accountable to all.

He argued that the Security Council must be made flexible to allow Africa, Asia, Latin America and Middle East countries to have fair representation in the world body.

The Malawi leader pointed out that the continued monopoly of this body by the “Super Powers”  is no longer justifiable.

He  argues that developing nations cannot continue to be silent spectators in matters that affect them as e very sovereign nation is an integral part of the global village.

Speaking at the same summit, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and other leaders who acknowledged the world is far from achieving Mandela’s ideals which also include human rights and global cooperation.

“We need to face the forces that threaten us with the wisdom, courage and fortitude that Nelson Mandela embodied,” said the UN chief.

The day-long summit, with nearly 160 scheduled speakers, set the stage for Tuesday’s opening of the General Assembly’s annual meeting of world leaders, where conflicts from Syria to South Sudan, rising unilateralism, and tackling a warming planet and growing inequality are among issues expected to be in the spotlight.

Malawi’s leader will be the second to deliver his address among global leaders.

The General Assembly, which was established in 1945 under the UN Charter, is a chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the UN and is a unique forum for multilateral discussions of full spectrum of international issues.

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