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Africa deserves permanent UN Security Council seat – Japanese PM
African leaders with the Japanese prime minister recently in Nairobi
The Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, has advocated for Africa to be given a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. At the two-day 6th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), recently in Nairobi, Kenya, Abe said, “Africa does not have a permanent member at the United Nations Security Council. It should have one by 2023,” he said.
President Yoweri Museveni is among the several Heads of State attending the conference that is taking place in Africa for the first time since its inception in 1993. The conference is held under the theme “Partnership for Shared Prosperity”.
Abe pledged Japan’s commitment to help Africa solve challenges like epidemics and insecurity. He also said Japan would allocate US$ 10 billion towards supporting modern transport and electricity supply in Africa for the next three years.
He said that Japan would train 18,000 Africans by 2018 to improve the continent’s human resource. Another 20,000 would be trained to tackle infectious diseases.
Citing that Japanese companies were committed to ensuring high quality products, Abe added that a quality Africa would be built by providing modern transport and electricity supply, largely geothermal. The other plans would be to help Africa achieve universal healthcare, ensure the seas linking Africa to Japan are safe and help in peace and stability. He noted that young people, with high esteem, who should be supported to achieve their potential and called on the delegates to let Africa and Japan share a common vision.
The sixth TICAD summit, attracted over 30 African Heads of State from and 100 chief executives from Japan representing top Japanese companies.
Chadian President, Idris Deby, who is presently the African Union (AU) Chairman, said Japan should invest in Africa with the goal of improving infrastructure, water and energy. He said that the move would enable the continent to achieve its dreams.
Deby said that peace, stability and security were prerequisites to Africa’s development, calling on Japan and other partners to facilitate the African Fund against Terrorism.
AU Commission Chairperson, Nkosozana Dlamini Zuma, said that there should be partnership for shared prosperity. She said industrialization needs energy and thanked the World Bank, UNDP and TICAD for their efforts to have progress in the continent.
Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the TICAD conference, Museveni held a bilateral meeting with host President, Uhuru Kenyatta, at Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi.
The summit was anchored on the theme of “Advancing Africa’s Sustainable Development Agenda and, “Partnership for Prosperity.”
Following the successful summit, the Nairobi Declaration and its Implementation Plan were adopted unanimously. The declaration contains the blueprint for the continued partnership between Africa and Japan and will guide the delivery of the agreements reached during the talks.
The Nairobi declaration is designed to contribute to the improvement of infrastructure, clean energy generation and distribution, modernization of agriculture and health. The deal is also expected to usher in greater economic integration of Africa and will also boost empowerment of women and youth.
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