German special envoy Adt Harro (left) with Foreign Affairs minister Augustine Mahiga in Dar es Salaam yesterday after delivering a message from German Chancellor Angela Merkel to President John Magufuli.
PHOTO|SALIM SHAO
What you need to know:
German chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday sent a special envoy, Ambassador Adt Harro, to deliver her request to President John Magufuli.
Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation minister Augustine Mahiga received the message on behalf of the President, who was chairing a CCM special meeting in Dodoma.
Dar es Salaam. Germany is seeking Tanzania’s support for its bid to have a two-year non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council (UNCS) ahead of an election to be held next year.
German chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday sent a special envoy, Ambassador Adt Harro, to deliver her request to President John Magufuli.
Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation minister Augustine Mahiga received the message on behalf of the President, who was chairing a CCM special meeting in Dodoma.
Should it be successful, Germany would become a non-permanent member of the influential UN body from 2019 to 2020.
It would be the fourth time that Germany is elected to the Security Council as a non-permanent member. The country last held a Security Council seat from 2011 to 2012.
Germany has promised to promote international peace, technological innovations, justice and diplomatic partnership. Receiving the message, Dr Mahiga asked Germany to support Africa in the construction of the African Courts of Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) in Arusha.
“I will present their message to President Magufuli as I’m required to do; again, as a country, we are open to listening to other candidates vying for the same post,” he said, mentioning other candidates as Belgium and Israel. He said Tanzania and Germany had a long-standing relationship, and as such it was high time the two countries translated the bond into something that directly benefitted Tanzania.
“Germany has economic and political influence in Europe, and we hope that their membership in the UNSC will bring additional responsibility, including the fight for Africa’s two permanent seats in the Council,” Dr Mahiga said.
“A permanent seat for Africa on the Security Council will allow the continent to have a voice in all decision-making organs of the UN,” he said Proposals for the change have been made since 1993, when the General Assembly authorised an ‘Open Ended Working Group’ to study expansion of the Security Council. However, efforts to initiate formal negotiations on expanding the council didn’t bear fruits.
The membership of the UN Security Council is held by the five permanent members and elected, non-permanent members. Elected members hold their place in the Council for a two-year term.
The Council is the UN’s most powerful body and helps shape international law. It also has the power to make binding decisions on global peace.
