SA chairs UN Security Council summit
16 April 2008
The relationship between the United Nations Security Council and regional organisations in the maintenance of international peace are set to top the agenda at the council's summit, being chaired by South Africa, in New York on Wednesday.
South Africa holds the presidency of the UN Security Council for April, and will be looking to use its position to further a number of African priorities.
South Africa has decided to use its second presidency of the council to continue exploring the theme introduced during its first presidency, in March 2007, on strengthening the relationship between the UN and regional organisations.
Speaking at a briefing earlier this year, Foreign Affairs chief director for UN political affairs Xolisa Mabhongo said: "We will be looking into what we can do to enhance the relationship between the UN and other regional organisations, in particular the African Union."
Mabhongo said South Africa - as part of its 2007 presidency under the chairmanship of Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma – had called on the UN Secretary-General to produce a report with concrete proposals on how the relationship between the UN and the African Union (AU) could be enhanced.
The report, he said, was currently being finalized, and it would be a great opportunity for South Africa, in its second presidency, to get UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to pursue some of the recommendations contained in the report.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, a follow-up to the meeting between the UN Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council that was held in Addis Ababa in June 2007, will also be discussed on Thursday.
This meeting would serve as a "visible sign of the willingness of the UN and AU to work together in the interests of international peace and security," the department said in a statement this week.
As Security Council president, South Africa will help to prepare the council's agenda for the month, chair the council's meetings, and act as the official contact point for UN members, media and civil society.
South Africa's achievements on the Security Council in 2007 included a mission to Ghana co-led by the Security Council and the United Kingdom; facilitating the adoption of a presidential statement on the role of women in peace and security; and getting the council to adopt a proactive policy on small arms.
Mabhongo added that the Security Council's counter-terrorism executive directorate would be making a visit to South Africa in 2008.
"What they are basically going to do is bring a multi-disciplinary team of officials to assess South Africa's capacities and compliance with Security Council counter-terrorism resolutions," Mabhongo said.
"[They will investigate] whether we have systems and policies in place that are adequate in the fight against terrorism."
Source: BuaNews
