Luanda - The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tête António, reaffirmed on Sunday in New York (USA) the need for the African continent to occupy at least two permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council.
Speaking at the interactive dialogue: 'Multilateral solutions for a better future', at the United Nations headquarters, he reaffirmed the African common position, reflected in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, which reiterates the need for at least two permanent seats and two more seats in addition to the current three non-permanent seats for African states.
'We see the New Agenda for Peace and the Future Pact as opportunities to further strengthen interactions and advance the much-needed reform of the Security Council, a key body of the United Nations, where, unfortunately, Africa is the only continent not represented in the permanent category of members,' he said.
The UN Security Council is composed of 15 members, of which five are permanent and 10 are non-permanent and are elected to two-year terms by the General Assembly. The permanent members are the United States of America (USA), Russia, France, the United Kingdom and China.
The head of Angolan diplomacy noted that the United Nations continues to be fundamental to prevent conflicts, help parties to the conflict to establish peace, send peacekeeping forces and create conditions for peace to be maintained and flourish.
Indeed, he said it was imperative to build trust between nations, recalling the role of diplomacy and dialogue to foster regional cooperation, prevent conflicts and promote mutual understanding.
On the occasion, it encouraged enhanced operational cooperation between the United Nations and regional organisations, including the African Union, in strategic areas such as early warning, conflict prevention, peacekeeping, peacekeeping and peacebuilding.
He recalled that Angola welcomes the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2719 last December, considering it an important milestone in the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union on peace and security, 'as it provides the framework for adequate, predictable and sustainable financing of AU-led peace support operations.'
'In an international context of great challenges, we must prioritize multilateralism as a way to reach consensus on the preservation of international peace and security, the promotion of sustainable development and the defense of human rights,' said the minister.
In this regard, he advocated increasing women's participation and incorporating gender perspectives into all United Nations peace and security efforts.
He reiterated Angola's commitment to continue to play a strategic role in conflict prevention, management and resolution, to strengthen peace and democracy in Africa, especially in the Great Lakes Region, through diplomatic initiatives to promote political dialogue, build mutual trust and increase cooperation between States. DC/DOJ
