Egypt lauds AU Committee of 10 efforts on reforms in the UN Security Council

CAIRO – 19 February 2023: Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has praised the efforts exerted by the African Union Committee of Ten Heads of State and Government on the United Nations Security Council Reforms (C-10).

Addressing a meeting of the AU Summit in Addis Ababa on C-10 on behalf of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi on Sunday, Shoukry said the committee’s efforts reflect a desire to make progress towards strengthening the African representation in the international forum and addressing the historical injustice that befell the continent.

Some of the new formulations have unintentionally raised worries about engaging more actively in Security Council reform discussions without strong guarantees for the maintenance of the African stance, Shoukry warned.

He called on the African states to stick to the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration that reflect the inclusive African perspective in this regard.

The top Egyptian diplomat expressed the need for African countries to distance themselves from attempts to divide their ranks by parties seeking to achieve their interests at the expense of African rights.

Heads of state and government of the AU started on Saturday the 36th AU Summit at the AU headquarters in the Ethiopian capital, during which President of Comoros Azali Assoumani was elected to chair the organization for the next one year.

The African Union Committee of Ten Heads of State and Government on the United Nations Security Council Reforms is concerned with coordinating positions among African nations on UNSC’s reforms.

The UNSC reforms include membership categories and the question of the veto held by the five permanent members: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.