Wikipedia

African Group

The Group of African States, or African Group, is one of the five United Nations regional groups and is composed of 54 Member States from the African continent. The African Group is the largest regional group, and compose 28% of all United Nations members.

Group of African States
AbbreviationGAFS
Formation1964; 60 years ago (1964)
TypeRegional group
Legal statusActive
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The Group, as with all the regional groups, is a non-binding dialogue group where subjects concerning regional and international matters are discussed. Additionally, the Group works to help allocates seats on United Nations bodies by nominating candidates from the region.[1][2]

Role

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The Group, as with all the regional groups, plays a major role in promoting the region's interests. It provides a forum for Member States to exchange opinions on international issues, carry out follow-up on the topics that are being discussed in international organisations, build common positions on complex issues and prepare statements reflecting the joint position of the Group.[3][4]

However, most importantly, the Group allows for the discussion and coordination of support for candidates for different United Nations organisations from the region.[1]

Member States

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The following are the Member States of the African Group:[5][6]

Representation

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Security Council

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The African Group currently holds three seats on the Security Council, all non-permanent. The current members of the Security Council from the Group are:[7][8]

Country Term
  Algeria 1 January 2024 — 31 December 2025[9]
  Sierra Leone
  Mozambique 1 January 2023 — 31 December 2024

Economic and Social Council

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The African Group currently holds 14 seats on the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The current members of the Economic and Social Council from the Group are:[10][11]

Country Term
  Kenya 1 January 2024 – 31 December 2026
  Mauritania
  Niger
  Senegal
  Zambia
  Botswana 1 January 2023 — 31 December 2025
  Cabo Verde
  Cameroon
  Equatorial Guinea
  Cote d'Ivoire 1 January 2022 — 31 December 2024
  Eswatini
  Mauritius
  Tunisia
  Tanzania

Human Rights Council

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The African Group currently holds 13 seats on the United Nations Human Rights Council. The current members of the Human Rights Council from the Group are:[12][13]

Country Term
  Burundi 1 January 2024 — 31 December 2026
  Cote d'Ivoire
  Ghana
  Malawi
  Algeria 1 January 2023 — 31 December 2025
  Morocco
  South Africa
  Sudan
  Benin 1 January 2022 — 31 December 2024
  Cameroon
  Eritrea
  Gambia
  Somalia

Presidency of the General Assembly

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Every five years in the years ending in 4 and 9, the African Group is eligible to elect a president to the General Assembly.[14]

The following is a list of presidents from the Group since its official creation in 1963:[15]

Year Elected Session Name of President Country Note
1964 19th Alex Quaison-Sackey   Ghana
1969 24th Angie E. Brooks   Liberia
1974 29th Abdelaziz Bouteflika   Algeria
1979 34th Salim A. Salim   Tanzania Also chaired the 6th and 7th emergency special, and 11th special sessions of the General Assembly
1984 39th Paul J. F. Lusaka   Zambia
1989 44th Joseph Nanven Garba   Nigeria Also chaired 16th, 17th and 18th special sessions of the General Assembly
1994 49th Amara Essy   Côte d'Ivoire
1999 54th Theo-Ben Gurirab   Namibia Also chaired the 22nd, 23rd and 24th special sessions of the General Assembly
2004 59th Jean Ping   Gabon
2009 64th Ali Abdussalam Treki   Libya Also chaired the 29th special session of the General Assembly
2014 69th Sam Kahamba Kutesa   Uganda
2019 74th Tijjani Muhammad-Bande   Nigeria
2024 79th Philémon Yang   Cameroon
Future
2029 84th TBA TBA
2034 89th TBA TBA

References

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  1. ^ a b Agam, Hasmy; Sam Daws; Terence O'Brien; Ramesh Takur (26 March 1999). What is Equitable Geographic Representation in the Twenty-First Century (PDF) (Report). United Nations University. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  2. ^ Volger, Helmut, ed. (2010). "Archived copy" (PDF). A Concise Encyclopedia of the United Nations (2nd ed.). Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. ISBN 978-90-04-18004-8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 February 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  3. ^ "Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia. n.d. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  4. ^ "Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries in the United Nations (GRULAC)". Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. n.d. Archived from the original on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  5. ^ "Regional groups of Member States". United Nations Department for General Assembly and Conference management. United Nations. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  6. ^ "United Nations Handbook 2018–19" (PDF). United Nations Handbook:: An Annual Guide for Those Working within the United Nations (56 ed.). Wellington: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand: 15–17. 2018. ISSN 0110-1951.
  7. ^ "Current Members". United Nations Security Council. United Nations. n.d. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  8. ^ "General Assembly Elects Estonia, Niger, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Tunisia, Viet Nam as Non-Permanent Members of Security Council for 2020-2021". United Nations Meetings Coverage & Press Releases. United Nations. 7 June 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  9. ^ "UN elects five new members to serve on the Security Council". UN News. 2021-06-11. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
  10. ^ "Members". United Nations Economic and Social Council. United Nations. n.d. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  11. ^ "General Assembly Elects 19 Economic and Social Council Members to Terms Beginning 1 January 2020, Adopts Resolution Commemorating Signing of United Nations Charter". United Nations Meetings Coverage & Press Releases. United Nations. 14 June 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  12. ^ "Current Membership of the Human Rights Council, 1 January - 31 December 2019 by regional groups". United Nations Human Rights Council. United Nations. n.d. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  13. ^ "General Assembly Elects 14 Member States to Human Rights Council, Appoints New Under-Secretary-General for Internal Oversight Services". United Nations Meetings Coverage & Press Releases. United Nations. 17 October 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  14. ^ Wanza, Serah N. (27 November 2017). "What Are The Five Regional Groups of the United Nations?". Worldatlas. Worldatlas. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  15. ^ "Past Presidents". United Nations General Assembly. United Nations. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
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