Japanese African meeting to discuss UN security council reforms

The Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, and a number of leaders and heads of African states attending the Tokyo International Conference on African Development, discussed during their meeting today UN Security Council reforms. An official source in Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the President of Sierra Leone participated in the meeting as Coordinator of the ten African countries, in addition to other leaders of the African Group and Chairman of the African Union Commission. He explained that the purpose of the meeting is to promote dialogue and cooperation with African countries on the Security Council reform process. Pointing out that the issue of Security Council reforms have been stalled for years and that international negotiations in New York are making progress to change the current Security Council composition which is composed of five permanent members and 10 non-permanent members, elected for a term of two years. The group of four (G4), which includes Japan, Germany, Brazil and India are seeking permanent member status in an enlarged Council, while another coalition group opposes the motion known as the "Union for compatibility". The meeting comes on the sidelines of the 5th session of the TICAD conference hosted in Tokyo and attended by representatives of about 54 African countries.