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UN Security Council Adopts Jonathan’s Advocacy
- By Williams Ekanem
- Published October 31st, 2011
- Washington File
- Unrated
President Goodluck Jonathan’s advocacy on the elimination of the proliferation of small arms and piracy may have been adopted by the United Nations. Indications to this emerged as the United Nations Security Council last week called on all nations in the world to continue their cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of all persons responsible for acts of piracy, armed robbery at sea, and Kidnap for Ransom off the coast of Somalia.
The Nigerian president has since his ascension to power even as acting president in 2010 been an advocate of the need for a global regulation of small arms to check increasing level of trans-border crimes, restiveness and insurgencies around the world.
Jonathan initiated the call during the Nuclear Summit in the United States in 2010 and reiterated same while addressing members of the United States Congressional Black Caucus, made of black congressmen in the House of Representatives.
In August 2011 when he received the out-going Finnish ambassador to Nigeria, Ms. Anneli Vuorine, who was at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, for a farewell visit said, “Finland and Nigeria share similar positions on several global issues, such as the need to take global action to check the free movement of small arms, peace-keeping, and human trafficking,” he said.
Also, in a speech at the opening of the 66th Session of the annual United Nations General Assembly debate in New York, President Jonathan stressed that the problem of small arms must be tackled if the UN hoped to succeed in resolving conflicts through mediation.
In this direction, the president proposed the establishment of a Conflict Mediation Commission under the UN Secretary-General’s Office, adding that the office would be charged with the collation of information on conflict situations across the world, in order to develop appropriate strategies for initiating resolution of conflicts.
President Jonathan explained that global regulation of the movement of small arms would greatly help to check trans-border crimes and insurgencies.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last week announced the deployment of an assessment mission to the Gulf of Guinea region in order examine the scope of the increasing threat of piracy in the Gulf, and to make recommendations on anti-piracy, including in the broader context of organized crime and drug trafficking.
Addressing a meeting of the Security Council, he said there was an increase in reported cases of piracy and armed robbery aboard vessels along the West Africa coast.
The threat was compounded because the Gulf of Guinea States had limited capacity to ensure safe maritime trade, freedom of navigation, the protection of marine resources and the safety and security of lives and property.
Speaking in her national capacity, the President of the Security Council, U. Joy Ogwu of Nigeria, said the challenges of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea were daunting, as piracy threatened the security and stability of coastal countries.
Perpetrators, she stated were motivated by oil, as well as by the smuggling of drugs and light weapons, pointing out that Nigeria was already working bilaterally and multilaterally to find solutions, among other things through joint maritime patrols with Benin in their territorial waters in order to deter piracy.
She said the problem could not be resolved by two nations alone; it was a collective responsibility. The Council should therefore lend its support to regional actions, including through adoption of a draft resolution.
Calling piracy in the Gulf of Guinea a threat to international peace and security in the region, other speakers welcomed the Secretary-General’s initiative to send an assessment mission, which should generate proposals for the international community to assist countries along the coast of the Gulf of Guinea and regional organizations through, among other things, technical assistance and support for capacity-building.
They stressed that such assistance should respect the sovereignty and ownership of the countries in the region, underlining the fact that those countries had the primary responsibility to provide for maritime security in their waters.
Several speakers called for a holistic approach that would not only take into account maritime security, but also address the roots causes of piracy, which often included poverty and lack of opportunities for young people.
In an immediate response to the development, US Department of State welcomes the UN Security Council’s unanimous call to all nations of the world to continue their cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of all persons responsible for acts of piracy, armed robbery at sea, and Kidnap for Ransom off the coast of Somalia.
According to Victoria Nuland Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson, this development is the latest indication of growing international consensus that these transnational criminals pose a serious shared security challenge for the safety and well-being of seafarers, global commerce and humanitarian aid.
The Nigerian president has since his ascension to power even as acting president in 2010 been an advocate of the need for a global regulation of small arms to check increasing level of trans-border crimes, restiveness and insurgencies around the world.
Jonathan initiated the call during the Nuclear Summit in the United States in 2010 and reiterated same while addressing members of the United States Congressional Black Caucus, made of black congressmen in the House of Representatives.
In August 2011 when he received the out-going Finnish ambassador to Nigeria, Ms. Anneli Vuorine, who was at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, for a farewell visit said, “Finland and Nigeria share similar positions on several global issues, such as the need to take global action to check the free movement of small arms, peace-keeping, and human trafficking,” he said.
Also, in a speech at the opening of the 66th Session of the annual United Nations General Assembly debate in New York, President Jonathan stressed that the problem of small arms must be tackled if the UN hoped to succeed in resolving conflicts through mediation.
In this direction, the president proposed the establishment of a Conflict Mediation Commission under the UN Secretary-General’s Office, adding that the office would be charged with the collation of information on conflict situations across the world, in order to develop appropriate strategies for initiating resolution of conflicts.
President Jonathan explained that global regulation of the movement of small arms would greatly help to check trans-border crimes and insurgencies.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last week announced the deployment of an assessment mission to the Gulf of Guinea region in order examine the scope of the increasing threat of piracy in the Gulf, and to make recommendations on anti-piracy, including in the broader context of organized crime and drug trafficking.
Addressing a meeting of the Security Council, he said there was an increase in reported cases of piracy and armed robbery aboard vessels along the West Africa coast.
The threat was compounded because the Gulf of Guinea States had limited capacity to ensure safe maritime trade, freedom of navigation, the protection of marine resources and the safety and security of lives and property.
Speaking in her national capacity, the President of the Security Council, U. Joy Ogwu of Nigeria, said the challenges of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea were daunting, as piracy threatened the security and stability of coastal countries.
Perpetrators, she stated were motivated by oil, as well as by the smuggling of drugs and light weapons, pointing out that Nigeria was already working bilaterally and multilaterally to find solutions, among other things through joint maritime patrols with Benin in their territorial waters in order to deter piracy.
She said the problem could not be resolved by two nations alone; it was a collective responsibility. The Council should therefore lend its support to regional actions, including through adoption of a draft resolution.
Calling piracy in the Gulf of Guinea a threat to international peace and security in the region, other speakers welcomed the Secretary-General’s initiative to send an assessment mission, which should generate proposals for the international community to assist countries along the coast of the Gulf of Guinea and regional organizations through, among other things, technical assistance and support for capacity-building.
They stressed that such assistance should respect the sovereignty and ownership of the countries in the region, underlining the fact that those countries had the primary responsibility to provide for maritime security in their waters.
Several speakers called for a holistic approach that would not only take into account maritime security, but also address the roots causes of piracy, which often included poverty and lack of opportunities for young people.
In an immediate response to the development, US Department of State welcomes the UN Security Council’s unanimous call to all nations of the world to continue their cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of all persons responsible for acts of piracy, armed robbery at sea, and Kidnap for Ransom off the coast of Somalia.
According to Victoria Nuland Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson, this development is the latest indication of growing international consensus that these transnational criminals pose a serious shared security challenge for the safety and well-being of seafarers, global commerce and humanitarian aid.
