DP Gachagua heads to Equatorial Guinea for C-10 summit

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua leaves the country today Thursday, November 23, 2023 for Ciudad de la Paz (formerly Oyala) in Equatorial Guinea, to participate at the Summit of the Committee of Ten (C-10) of the African Union Heads of State and Government on the reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Gachagua will represent President William Ruto at the ongoing November 22-24, 2023 Summit.

On November 24, 2023, he will deliver a Statement on behalf of Kenya on why the reforms of the UNSC need to be accelerated for equitable representation of Africa through expansion of the membership among other issues. 

The meeting is reviewing the emerging international momentum on the reform of the UNSC to strategically position and prepare Africa for any outcome in the process, which began in 2005.

The Heads of State and Government from the C-10 States will also discuss how to strategically utilise the Common African Position as a negotiating framework to agree on a realistic and pragmatic roadmap for the reform of the UNSC in the best interests of the continent.

The African Union Committee of Ten Heads of State and Government (C-10) was setup during the 4th Extraordinary Session of the Assembly on August 4, 2005, through Decision Ext/Assembly/AU/Dec.1 (IV), with the core mandate of presenting, advocating and canvassing support for the Common African Position on the Reform of the UNSC as enshrined in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration.

The United Nations General Assembly begun the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) on the reforms of the UN Security Council during the 63rd Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 63) in 2009.

Currently, the UNSC Permanent Members Comprise the United States of America, the United Kingdom, France, China and Russia. There are also Non-permanent Member positions, which are held on a rotational basis. Africa is represented by Mozambique, Gabon and Ghana.

Kenya's two-year term of representing Africa at the UNSC ended in December 2022. Kenya is one of the countries in Africa, which have been pushing for the reforms of the UNSC - the highest decision-making organ of the UN- calling for a more inclusive body that considers and reflects regional balance and equal mandate in decisions.

The African Union chose Kenya and nine other members to champion these discussions. The other States include Equatorial Guinea, the Republic of the Congo, Namibia, Zambia, Libya, Algeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Uganda.