India seeks larger UN role in resolving African conflicts
February 22nd, 2012 - 12:40 pm ICT by IANSUnited Nations, Feb 22 (IANS) India wants the United Nations to become a more effective partner of the African Union in resolution of African conflicts.”The relevant UN agencies should support the regional and sub-regional organizations and assist in their capacity building and in facilitating their implementation,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Hardeep Puri said Tuesday.
He was participating in a UN Security Council open debate on impact of transnational organized crime on peace, security and stability in West Africa and the Sahel region.
The UN offices in the region, including UNOWA, UNOCA and UNOAU, should look into practical and concrete ways to strengthen the efforts of the national governments and regional institutions and bring greater coherence and coordination, Puri said.
While countries in West Africa and the Sahel are more democratic today than in the past and have achieved respectable rates of economic growth, they continue to suffer from a number of problems which have political, security and socio-economic dimensions, he said.
“The importance of an enduring peace, security and stability in West Africa and the Sahel region cannot, therefore be overemphasized,” he said. “Addressing these problems will not only help the region but also have a positive effect on democracy and development in Africa as a whole.”
Noting that a number of countries in the region, including Mali, Senegal and Guinea Bissau, face crucial elections this year, Puri expressed the hope that elections will be held in a peaceful manner and further strengthen the roots of democracy in these countries and the larger region.
- UNSC voices concern over maritime piracy - Aug 31, 2011
- UNSC condemns Iraq terror attacks; seeks stability in Central Africa - Aug 19, 2011
- Food crisis looms in Africa's Sahel region - Jan 31, 2012
- India ready to help fight piracy in Africa - Feb 28, 2012
- Listen to Africa on African affairs: India to UN - Jan 13, 2012
- UN chief criticises mutiny in Mali - Mar 23, 2012
- Al Qaeda planning to kidnap more Westerners - Nov 29, 2011
- UNSC discusses piracy in Gulf of Guinea - Oct 20, 2011
- Vaccination campaign to aid more than 85 million children in Africa - Mar 06, 2010
- BRICS leaders want force to be avoided in Libya - Apr 14, 2011
- India supports UN sanctions against Cote d'Ivoire - Mar 31, 2011
- India offers $100 million credit line to Mali - Jan 11, 2012
- Need political will to deal with terror safe havens: India - Nov 22, 2011
- India votes for Syria resolution in UN General Assembly - Feb 17, 2012
- India committed to work towards peace in Somalia - Mar 11, 2011
Tags: african conflicts, capacity building, coherence, democracy and development, democracy and development in africa, economic dimensions, hardeep, national governments, number of countries, open debate, peaceful manner, political security, puri, regional institutions, regional organizations, roots of democracy, sahel region, transnational organized crime, un security council, west africa