Nigeria assumes presidency of UN Security Council

Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Professor Joy Ogwu yesterday assumed the one-month rotational Presidency of the United Nations Security Council.

Ambassador Ogwu takes over from Ambassador Sylvie Lucas, the Permanent Representative of Luxembourg, who held the Presidency for the month of March.

According a statement from the Permanent Mission of Nigeria

to the United Nations, New York, USA, Nigeria is currently holding the chair of two Security Council Committees: the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2048 (2012) concerning GuineaBissau, and the Ad Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa.

Additionally, Nigeria is one of the three vice-chairs of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), concerning the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; and one of the two vice-chairs the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) concerning Sudan.

The statement read in part: “with the support of all other members of the Council, Nigeria will use its month-long presidency to actively promote the cause of international peace and security, in line with the principles of the UN Charter and the mandate of the Council.”

It would be recalled that Nigeria was elected a non-permanent member of the Security Council on 17 October 2013 and will serve on the Council for the period 2014 - 2015.

This is the fifth time since independence that Nigeria has been elected to serve on the most powerful decision-making organ of the United Nations charged with the maintenance of international peace and security.