Details of Gachagua Equatorial Guinea tour

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua arrived Thursday in Equatorial Guinea for the high-level summit of African heads of state on the reforms of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

UN and AU officials and other representatives are also attending the meeting.

Committee of Ten (C-10) states was chosen by the African Union to champion the discussions on the Council's reforms.

Gachagua is representing President William Ruto in the two-day summit.

Kenya is one of the countries in Africa, which have been pushing for the reforms of the UNSC -the highest decision-making organ of the UN.

It has been calling for a more inclusive body that considers and reflects regional balance and equal mandate in decisions.

At the meeting to be held in Ciudad de la Paz today, the DP will deliver Kenya’s statement which highlights why UNSC reforms need to be accelerated for equitable representation of Africa through expansion of the membership.

“The summit is reviewing the emerging international momentum on the reform of the UNSC to strategically position and prepare Africa for any outcome in the process, which began in 2005,” reads a statement sent to newsrooms.

The nine other African countries are Equatorial Guinea, the Republic of the Congo, Namibia, Zambia, Libya, Algeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Uganda.

UN and AU officials are also attending the meeting.

The Heads of State and Government from the C-10 states will also discuss how to strategically utilize the common African position as a negotiating framework to agree on a realistic and pragmatic roadmap for the reform of the UNSC in the best interests of the continent.

The AU C-10 was set up during the 4th Extraordinary Session of the Assembly on August 4, 2005, through Decision Ext/Assembly/AU/Dec.1 (IV).

Its core mandate is to present, advocate and canvass support for the common African position on the reform of the UNSC as enshrined in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration.

The United Nations General Assembly began the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) on the reforms of the UN Security Council during the 63rd Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 63) in 2009. 

Currently, the UNSC Permanent Members Comprise the US, UK, France, China and Russia.

There are also non-permanent member positions, which are held on a rotational basis.

Africa is represented by Mozambique, Gabon and Ghana.

Kenya's two-year term of representing Africa at the UNSC ended in December 2022.