By Jeffrey Moyo<\/p>\n\n\n\n
HARARE | ADDIS ABABA (IDN) \u2014 Held in Addis Ababa the Ethiopian capital, the 35th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union early February seems long gone, with loud calls from African leaders for reform of the United Nations system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The loudest calls came from the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed who boldly took the UN to task. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the coronavirus restrictions loosening up across the world, the Assembly of the African Union Heads of State and Government this year commenced<\/a> its 35th Ordinary session, the first to be held in person following a pause in 2021 when the Assembly was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is the right time to reform and revitalize the United Nations system to reflect current global realities and ensure that it is a more representative and equitable body,\u201d said<\/a> the Ethiopian Prime Minister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One after the other, African leaders reiterated the need for reform at the UN, with the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa denoting the way the developing continent has been treated unfairly by the continental body in the fight against climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Denoting the unfairness, the South African President said<\/a> \u201ca one-size-fits-all approach to complex issues such as a transition from fossil fuels that disregards the realties on the ground in Africa will simply not work, and is neither just nor equitable\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet the Ethiopian Prime Minister was blunter as he took on the bull by its horns, demanding a fair share for Africa in the UN Security Council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cConsistent with our Ezulwini Consensus of 2005, we should collectively insist that Africa’s reasonable request for no less than two permanent seats and five non-permanent seats in the UN Security Council be adopted,\u201d said the Ethiopian Prime Minister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Ezulwini Consensus is a position on international relations and reform of the UN agreed by the African Union more than 15 years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n African leaders like the Ethiopian Prime Minister have not been apologetic about their calls for the reform of the UN, saying \u201cAfrica’s voice on the world stage needs to be heard loud and clear\u201d. He added, \u201cAfrica must also be represented on important international bodies.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taking over as the new AU chairperson this year from the Democratic Republic of Congo President Antoine Tshisekedi who was chairperson last year, Senegalese President Macky Sall in his inaugural speech, presented peace as a main goal of his one-year term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur challenges are still far too numerous and urgent whether it be peace or security, unconstitutional changes of government, the protection of the environment, health as well as the economic and social development,\u201d said<\/a> Sall.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As calls grew for the reform of the UN, more similar calls were made for the AU itself by Mr Moussa Faki the AU Commission Chairperson, who pointed to legal and political limits that impact the powers and leadership of the AU Commission on matters of regional and continental importance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While Mr Faki took this self-introspection of the world body, the Ethiopia\u2019s Prime Minister disparaged the way the developing continent has for years been downtrodden and undermined in all spheres even as it is aligned to the UN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cToday, more than seven decades after the creation of the United Nations, Africa remains a junior partner without meaningful input or role in the system of international governance. This is particularly true of the United Nations where Africa lacks representation on the Security Council and is underrepresented in a variety of ways,\u201d said the Ethiopian Prime Minister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He also bemoaned the way the global media portrayed the African continent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAfrica is often portrayed in the international media negatively. The endless representation as a continent troubled by civil wars, hunger, corruption, greed, disease, and poverty is demeaning and dehumanizing and likely driven by a calculated strategy and agenda,\u201d said Abiy Ahmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, the Ethiopian PM preached more about the unity of African countries in the face of what he perceived as being side-lined in the UN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe greatest lesson that Ethiopia bas learned over the past year is that without the solidarity of our African brothers and sisters, our existence as a nation would have been at great risk. United we stand, divided we fall\u2026. Our steadfast unity is the anchor and foundation of our Agenda 2063,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n