President Emmerson Mnangagwa says Zimbabwe’s bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council enjoys the support of both Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU).
The Security Council is the most powerful organ of the UN, with five permanent members (Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States), and 10 non-permanent members. The 10 rotational seats have two-year tenures and are voted for through the General Assembly, which is the entirety of the membership of the UN.
The permanent members have veto power, meaning any one of them can block a Security Council resolution, a status quo that has faced increasing criticism in recent years as the General Assembly points out that it is undemocratic and reflects antiquated geo-politics relating to the immediate post-World War II era.
Through the Ezulwini Consensus, the AU has resolved that the system should be changed so that Africa also gets at least one permanent Security Council seat. The AU also says veto power should be scrapped, but should it be retained, an African permanent representative on the Security Council should also get that privilege.
In an interview with “Brick by Brick” magazine, President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe had SADC and AU backing for a Security Council seat.
“We felt that it is time that one country in our region, SADC, should take that seat. We in SADC have agreed that Zimbabwe should put its foot forward.
“Whether we succeed or not, life continues. We have the full support in SADC and we have full support in the AU,” he said.
