By Alhaji Haruna Sani
“Sierra Leone will have a seat in the United Nations Security Council come 2024-2025. I have no doubt, and I can assure the public that Sierra Leone will have a seat in the UN Security Council come 2024/2025. From the current voting tally, we are sure of securing 121 votes, so we are already far ahead. Even though I can confidently say we will be there, but we are still continuing our campaigning our PRs”.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Professor David John Francis was briefing newsmen on the benefits of Sierra Leones’s engagement on the international stage.
The media engagement was held on October 21st, at the ministry’s conference hall on Tower Hill in Freetown.
“In May 2021, President Bio formally launched Sierra Leone UN Security Council bid in the non-permanent category for 2024/2025. Sierra Leone as the African Union endorsed candidate, I was asked by President Bio to formally launch the Sierra Leone UN Security Council bid on June 23rd, 2022 and it was a momentous occasion that was so pleasing for our country,” the minister added.
Highlighting the several successes by the Foreign Affairs Ministry and by extension the government in placing Sierra Leone on the global stage in recent years, Professor Francis thanked President Bio for giving a clear directive on how he wants the country’s diplomatic relations to be handled in terms of representation, protection of national interests, negotiations, reporting, and promotion of friendly relations.
He said the directives have earned the country much benefits and respect on the international stage.
“Nineteen months in the role as Foreign Minister, our engagements with both bilateral and multilateral partners have been fruitful in areas on Education, Health, trade, Mining, Agriculture, Tourism, sports, Security and other areas of cooperation”.
The Minister Highlighted several diplomatic gains including, the invitation of President Bio by the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, to become a founding member of the informal Group of Champions for Global Education, the Co-facilitation of the UN Resolution on international cooperation on Access to Justice for Survivors of Sexual Violence and the emergence of Sierra Leone as sole candidate for the United Nations Security Council Seat bid for 2024-2025.
He said the county’s recent engagements with Ireland, Serbia, Singapore, Iceland and Vietnam at the UN will have positive outcomes in education, trade and investment and other opportunities for Sierra Leone.
The Foreign Minister said he was able to influence decisions and behaviour of foreign governments and people through dialogue and negotiations, using bilateral and multilateral means. He said those actions have positioned Sierra Leone as a nation that is ready for business with high level of respect, accountability and trust.
