Sierra Leone wins non permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council
It was a whooping 188 votes out of 192, as announced by the UNGA President Csaba Korosi on June 6th, 2023. Algeria, Guyana, Republic of Korea and Slovenia also emerged victorious, joining the most power organ of the UN.
Sierra Leone now has a non permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council, starting January 1st, 2024 – 2025, as one of the 15 members of one of the most powerful organ of the UN. As the 6th organ of the UN, the role of the UNSC is to maintain international peace and security.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Professor David Francis updated his colleague Foreign Ministers of the African Union, in October 2021, that Sierra Leone’s United Nations Security Council (UNSC) seat bid in the Non-Permanent Category for 2024-2025 was in principle, endorsed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Council of Ministers & Summit of Heads of States in Accra, Ghana in June 2021 (MOFA.gov.sl).
President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, His Excellency, Rtd. Brigadier Julius Maada Bio, had launched the bid on September 23, 2022, through video, during the UN General Assembly, continuing to appeal for votes from delegates.
The hard works of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr David Francis and the Sierra Leone Permanent Mission to the UN, led by Ambassador, Dr. Fanday Turay, Deputies, Mr. Amara Sowa, Dr Michael I Kanu and staff of the MOFA and the UN Mission, have again given Sierra Leone a standing ovation among other nations in the world.
Ambassador, Alhaji Fanday Turay, Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to the United Nations, after the win talks to this writer in the wells of the UN General Assembly: “President Bio means well for Sierra Leone, that is why he got the votes. With 188 votes out of 192, he went on, this shows President Bio’s insights about foreign policies. Sierra Leone will now be part of the P5 membership, inclusive of the USA and UK. Sierra Leone will now push the agenda for Food Security, Human Capital Development” etc as the Ambassador concluded.
Patriotic Sierra Leoneans are intrigued by this new development. After 53 years, Sierra Leone takes her seat back, all because of the rebranding of Sierra Leone by His Excellency, President Julius Maada Bio at the international level.
Geneba BM Koroma
Roving Reporter ©️
