NIGERIA is aggressively lobbying her sister African countries to support the bid to secure a seat as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Olugbenga Ashiru, made the appeal at a meeting with heads of African diplomatic missions in Abuja on Tuesaday, recalling that ECOWAS Heads of State and Government in February endorsed Nigeria’s candidature for the seat.
“The ECOWAS region has endorsed the candidature of Nigeria for the United Nations Security Council seat for the period 2014 to 2015 and as it is traditional, that outcome of the summit of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government in Cote d’Ivoire will now be forwarded to the African Union for another endorsement.
“I directly prefer to request all Heads of Mission who are present here from the African region to request your support so that you can inform your home government of the desire of Nigeria to contest that seat.
“I therefore believe that we will have a unanimous endorsement by the African Union at the next summit in May.”
The minister also briefed the ambassadors on the proceedings of the 7th Summit of the African First Ladies’ Peace Mission (AFLPM) held in Abuja in July 2012.
He said that the recommendations made at the summit had been sent to the African Union, ECOWAS and other regional and sub-regional bodies for adoption.
He also described the decision of Nigeria to build a permanent AFLPM secretariat as a noble cause.
“From the summit of last year, resolutions were adopted that the secretariat should ensure that conclusions of the last summit are distributed to member states of the African Union and that copies of the resolution should be dispatched to the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. This has been done.
“Also that copies should be sent to the President if the Commission of the ECOWAS Secretariat; that has been done, and also other regional and sub-regional groupings we have in Africa.
“It is a way to institutionalise the proceedings of the African First Ladies Peace Mission.
“We are committed to ensure that the secretariat is constructed in time so that there will be a permanent secretariat for the African First Ladies Peace Mission.
“When the secretariat is completed in Abuja other international organisations and agencies will be accommodated in the building in line with our national policy.
“It is important to stress that the AFLPM and the construction of a permanent secretariat for AFLPM is an ideal noble cause in the promotion of peace and development in Africa.”
AFLPM was established in 1995 as part of the outcomes of the United Nations Conference on Women held in Beijing, China, to deal with gender issues globally.
The objectives the African first ladies mission has sought to achieve since its establishment include building a platform on which peace and development will thrive in Africa.
Other objectives are: to offer support and services to victims in conflict affected countries, and to use appropriate mechanisms and institutions to protect women and children during armed conflicts.