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Why International Community supported Nigeria’s election into UN security Council – Foreign Affairs Minister

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imageThe acting Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mrs Viola Onwuliri, yesterday said that the international community supported Nigeria in its quest to become a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council as a result of the country’s efforts on the United Nations peacekeeping efforts in Africa.

In a media briefing at the Nigerian House in New York, Mrs Onwuliri said that the African Union (AU), and the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) equally indicated its support for Nigeria before and during the last Thursday’s election because they realized that Africa needed a strong voice like that of Nigeria.

She affirmed that those that supported Nigeria to get the seat believed in the country’s ability to deliver at all times.

“Nigeria has been able to bring changes to Africa as a non-permanent member of the Security Council in the past and that was exactly why the AU, ECOWAS declared to support us during the election” she noted.

Her words: “They all know that Nigeria has the experience. If you do not have experience and you just go there as a member of the council, you may not really have anything to contribute and that was why I earlier said that we needed to fill that gap for Africa and we are very happy, we thank the AU, the ECOWAS, the international community, for their endorsement of the candidature of Nigeria and that is because they know that Nigeria has something to offer. They believe that Nigeria had done it before and will still do it again. They believe that Nigeria will be there for Africa. They believe that Nigeria will be there for the world.

“Nigeria is a voice to reckon with in the issues of international peace and security, and these are issues that the UN Security Council is all about. Nigeria that is a strong player on the continent of Africa needed to fill the position that the West Africa fills for its voice to be heard in the global discourse.

“A country like Nigeria is needed by the council for a proper briefing on all the challenges and issues facing the African continent.

“Nigeria is also needed to use its wealth of experiences to help the council in order to move the United Nations forward and to as well help the world body to resolve all the knotty issues in the world. With this slot, Nigeria will be more committed to the United Nations peacekeeping efforts. Nigeria has remained committed to this effort since it became a member of the UN”

The Minister said that Nigeria will capitalize on the opportunity to return peace to all troubled zone in Africa.

She noted that Nigeria’s victory at the poll was for the entire African countries and not just for Nigeria.

Onwuliri said that several security challenges in African continent would be addressed with Nigeria’s new position in the UN.

“We will also be there as before to talk about how to eradicate terrorism and counter-terrorism to ensure this terrorism thing is squarely confronted by the global community.

“We will also see to the issue of proliferation of small arms and light weapons. You know Mr. President is very passionate about that too because proliferation is part of our problems in the entire continent of Africa” she noted.

The Minister stated further that, “The United Nations needs a strong voice like that of Nigeria to be able to be there for Africa so that issues relating to our continent will continuously remain on the front burner until they are resolved. Nigeria has always believed that development and security go hand in hand.

“You cannot develop if you do not have secured environment. Also on the other hand, you cannot have a secured environment if you are not developed.

“That is another angle that Nigeria is coming from to encourage development so that conflict situations will also reduce.

“These are issues we believe that the third world, especially the Africa will need to understand and Nigeria is believed will be able to handle these issues as we serve again as a non-permanent member of the UNSC.

“The structure of Africa and its global politics will improve the moment Nigeria is able to achieve all these as it serves on the council.

“Our member on the council will improve our capacity in handling issues within the United Nations because our staff and citizens will be adequately trained to understand the issues of the Security Council.

“We will also build our image for the other assignments ahead as the UN reforms that we believe in in the nearest future.

“We are already talking with some members of the council that have the belief in our capacity that the E10, I mean the elected 10 non-permanent members of the UNSC will have to come together to begin to talk.

“We have as well agreed that the African countries on the council will also begin to talk so that they will speak with one voice in the council and i know that all these will work by the time we work tirelessly with the permanent members of the council and we believe that with this, the world will be a better place. She asserted.