There's need for serious reforms in UN - Mutesa

There's need for serious reforms in UN - Mutesa
By Ernest Chanda
Tue 09 Oct. 2012, 10:20 CAT

ZAMBIANS for Empowerment and Democracy (ZED) president Dr Fred Mutesa says there is need for serious reforms in the UN system.

He said currently there was not much room for developing countries to have a say at the United Nations (UN) that could be given prominence at the world body.

"It's been a long process of demanding for a new world order in which countries that got their independence in the '50s and '60s can begin to be heard more loudly than is the case at the moment. During the time of Boutros Boutros-Ghali as UN secretary general, he put forward a number of reform measures for consideration by the member states," said Dr Mutesa.

"So, the desire to reform the UN system as a whole is not new. Nations in the developing world have all been thinking to have a greater say in the way that the UN is run. We should support efforts which increase the voice of those who have been on the matching for a long time. We need to define the issues we want and put them on the agenda, but for now a place on the UN
Security Council is a progressive step. We will therefore continue calling for Africa to have a place on the UN Security Council."

At the just ended UN General Assembly in New York, both President Michael Sata and South Africa's Jacob Zuma called for a permanent seat for Africa at the Security Council.
The two leaders also called for reforms in the UN system that could give a strong voice to Africa.