Nigeria today, assumed the one-month rotational Presidency of the United Nations (UN) Security Council. Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Professor Joy Ogwu, took over from Ambassador Gerard van Bohemen, the Permanent Representative of New Zealand.
New Zealand held the Presidency of the UNSC for the month of July, 2015.
A statement yesterday, by the Spokesperson to Mrs. Ogwu, Dr. Tope Adeleye Elias-Fatile, said this would be the first time in the history of the UN that an elected member of the Security Council would assume presidency of the Council for the 4th time in two separate tenures within 5 years.
Nigeria was elected a non-permanent member of the Council on 17 October, 2013, and is serving for the period 2014 – 2015.
“This is the fifth time since independence that Nigeria has been elected to serve on this most powerful decision-making organ of the United Nations charged with the responsibility of maintaining international peace and security. Nigeria previously served on the Council from 1966 – 1967, 1978 – 1979, 1994 – 1995 and 2011 – 2012.
“Nigeria’s return to the Council in January 2014, after having left only in December 2012, represents one of the shortest periods in the annals of the United Nations that a Member State has spent between two terms on the Council. This is even more remarkable as it is occurring under the institutional memory of the same Permanent Representative, Ambassador U. Joy Ogwu.
“Nigeria currently holds the chair of two Security Council Committees: The Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2048 (2012) concerning Guinea-Bissau and Iraq Sanctions Committee pursuant to resolution 1518 (2003). In addition, Nigeria is one of the three vice-chairs of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), concerning the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and one of the two vice-chairs of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) concerning Sudan,” it reads.
It said that wide consultations with various stakeholders had begun on Monday 27th of July, 2015 towards Nigeria’s assumption of the presidency of the Council.
“With the support of other members of the Council, Nigeria will use its month-long presidency to actively promote the cause of international peace and security in line with the principles of the UN Charter and the mandate of the Council,” the statement concluded. [myad]
