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 (1964)
TypeRegional group
Legal statusActive
icon Politics portal

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

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

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

Representation

Security Council

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
 Kenya 1 January 2021 — 31 December 2022
 Gabon 1 January 2022 — 31 December 2023[9]
 Ghana 1 January 2022 — 31 December 2023[9]

Economic and Social Council

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
 Liberia 1 January 2021 – 31 December 2023
 Libya
 Madagascar
 Nigeria
 Zimbabwe
 Angola 1 January 2019 — 31 December 2021
 Egypt
 Ethiopia
 Kenya
 Mali
 Benin 1 January 2020 — 31 December 2022
 Botswana
 Congo
 Gabon

Human Rights Council

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
 Ivory Coast 1 January 2021 — 31 December 2023
 Gabon
 Malawi
 Senegal
 Burkina Faso 1 January 2019 — 31 December 2021
 Cameroon
 Eritrea
 Somalia
 Togo
 Libya 1 January 2020 — 31 December 2022
 Mauritania
 Namibia
 Sudan

Presidency of the General Assembly

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 ElectedSessionName of PresidentCountryNote
196419thAlex Quaison-Sackey Ghana
196924thAngie E. Brooks Liberia
197429thAbdelaziz Bouteflika Algeria
197934thSalim A. Salim United Republic of TanzaniaAlso chaired the 6th and 7th emergency special, and 11th special sessions of the General Assembly
198439thPaul J. F. Lusaka Zambia
198944thJoseph Nanven Garba NigeriaAlso chaired 16th, 17th and 18th special sessions of the General Assembly
199449thAmara Essy Côte d'Ivoire
199954thTheo-Ben Gurirab NamibiaAlso chaired the 22nd, 23rd and 24th special sessions of the General Assembly
200459thJean Ping Gabon
200964thAli Abdussalam Treki LibyaAlso chaired the 29th special session of the General Assembly
201469thSam Kahamba Kutesa Uganda
201974thTijjani Muhammad-Bande Nigeria
Future
202479thTBATBA
202984thTBATBA
203489thTBATBA

References
  1. 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. "United Nations Regional Groups of Member States". United Nations Department for General Assembly and Conference management. United Nations. n.d. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  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. n.d. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
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