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Libya demands permanent UN seat
Libya has told the United Nations General Assembly that it deserves a permanent seat on the Security Council.
| Okay, Fred, we need a new image! |
Foreign Minister Abdurrahman Mohamed Shalghem listed a series of Libya's achievements as reasons for inclusion, including abandoning its WMD programme. He also highlighted Libya's key role in Africa and the influence of Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi. "There can be no Mediterranean Sea without Libya," Mr Shalghem said.
| I dunno, Reagan almost proved that wrong. |
 The Libyan minister also called for a transfer of key powers from the 15-member Security Council to the assembly. "Before we can talk about the lack of democracy in the world, we must first admit that it is lacking in the United Nations," he said. Mr Shalghem said that if powers were not transferred to the assembly, then the world should either "stop infusing money into this dead body" or enlarge the council's membership to include seats for the African Union, the Association of South-East Asian Nations and Latin America. The veto power held by the five permanent members would also need to be rethought, he said. A senior commission of experts is to deliver recommendations to Secretary-General Kofi Annan by the end of the year on United Nations reforms which will be agreed ahead of next September's 60th General Assembly ministerial meeting.
Posted by: tipper 2004-10-01 |
