ADDIS ABABA: French President Nicolas Sarkozy Sunday challenged the United Nations to reform its powerful Security Council this year to include one or more permanent African members. “I have long been convinced that Africa does not have the place it deserves in world governance,” the French leader said in an address to African Union leaders here. “Carry out the reform of the (UN) Security Council as early as this year,” Sarkozy told UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Joseph Deiss, the president of the UN General Assembly who were both attending the AU summit. The UN Security Council has five veto-wielding members — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — and 10 non-permanent members. “Do not wait. Do not make a speech. Make decisions.... Give the billion Africans the place they are entitled to and France will support you,” he added to loud applause from delegations of AU members. Earlier Deiss also underscored the need for an expanded Security Council so that this body “can better reflect the new world order.” He also expressed regret that the UN has become “marginalized by the emergence of other actors”, referring to the G20 group of the world's most powerful economies. Sarkozy stressed that if the UN Security Council “represents the world in its diversity, then there won't be any need for other organisations.”He has said major emerging nations such as India, Brazil and South Africa should have permanent seats on the Security Council.
