Nigeria Wants UN Posts To Reflect Contribution To Peace Missions

Nigeria has asked the UN for more appointment of its national to senior management cadre of the world body.

Nigeria is also requesting that other nationals of countries who are involved in peace keeping operations, be consider for the same positions.

Ambassador Felix Aniokoye Deputy Permanent Representative of the Nigerian Mission to the UN, made the proposal in a statement issued in New York.

According to the statement, Nigeria "called the attention of the world body to the under-representation of troop-contributing countries in the senior management cadre in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations."

The country is asking for "a review of the lopsided staff structure in the Department with the objective of identifying and recruiting competent hands for top positions from troop-contributing countries."

Nigeria’s position was meant to give more influence to member-states which contribute troops for peacekeeping missions of the United Nations (UN) especially as Nigeria is now the Chairman of the General Assembly Special Committee on Peacekeeping.

This position is traditionally reserved for Nigeria in recognition of her significant contribution of troops to UN peacekeeping missions across the globe.

Dr. Aniokoye assumed the leadership of the UN Special Committee, which resumed its 2008 substantive session on Monday last week.

 The vice chairmanship slot of the committee went to Argentina, Canada, Japan and Poland, while Egypt was elected as Rapporteur

There are more than 100 UN member nations in the committee. They include all the countries that normally contribute troops to the world body. But the UN normally referred to the committee as the C-34, because it was initially formed by 34 member-nations.

NP/Qasim/G.O.