By Saio Marrah
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Professor David Francis, says the country’s chances in attaining a non-permanent seat in the United Nation’s Security Council for 2024 to 2025, are quite high.
The minister told a press conference in Freetown on Friday 21st October, 2022, the country has already built a niche for itself in the global stage immensely which it can bank on.
He highlighted the endorsement by the the African Union, of Sierra Leone’s bid and also about the massive support from different foreign ministers of bigger nations.
He said the country has commanded huge respect on the international platform, and had “no doubt that Sierra Leone will sit in the UN Security Council come 2024-2025.”
He noted that the country has already secured 97 countries in support of its bid, which is the basic minimum of two thirds of the votes.
For this he praised that Multilateral Directorate of the foreign ministry and the teams in Washington, Geneva, Nairobi as well as the Sierra Leone representative in New York, for lobbying on behalf of the country in securing more votes.
He said those teams are now doing what he called “reciprocal agreement” and that it is stated by the team in New York that if voting were to be conducted now, Sierra Leone would secure 121 votes.
Prof. Francis said the country is far ahead of the minimum required votes, but however pointed out that in the business of diplomacy, you do not take everything for granted.
He spoke of how Deputy Foreign Minister, Mamadi Gobeh Kamara has also been lobbying countries that were not approached before, for support.
While boasting that Sierra Leone will surely be there come 2024 and 2025, he however said the conduct of the 2023 electioneering process will also “count on” the country’s chances.
Prof. Francis said abolition of the death penalty by the government of Sierra Leone has immensely raised the country’s reputation in the international stage to the extent that it has been identified by the UN Human Rights Council as one of the countries to promote and that they are using Sierra Leone as an example for other countries to follow.
The minister also disclosed that Sierra Leone has been invited to present its success story in Germany, on the abolition of the death penalty and at the same time, encourage other countries to do the same.
He noted that the country’s situation is unique as it had gone through a lot like the brutal war, yet it had the courage to abolish capital punishment.
He also pointed out that for the first time, Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio Co-chaired the UN Education Summit, which he said was very important for the country in projecting its image internationally, and protecting its interests.
Moreover, he stated that Sierra Leone was also able to project, mobilize and facilitate the UN resolution against Sexual Violence and that as foreign minister, he presented the resolution entitled “International Cooperation for Access to Justice Remedies and Assistance to Survivors of Sexual Violence.”
He also pointed out that for the first time in history, Sierra Leone was able to put on the UN Agenda, a global issue like sexual violence against women. He said the country is being commended for that action.
The foreign minister also highlighted the number of countries which he said Sierra Leone has strengthened its bilateral and multilateral ties with, in a bid to having more support.
He also pinpointed the many benefits a country stands to benefits once a member of the Security Council.
Sierra Leone is hoping for a second return to the UN Security Council since 1970 -1971.
Should the country’s bid be successful, the priority areas it pledges to focus on and address include, partnership and representation to maintain peace and security, build from a model UN operation to a model UN peacekeeping, maintaining peace, human rights and accountability, and involving women and youths in global peace and security.
Copyright © 2022 Politico Online (24/10/22)
