Obama stresses UNSC role in maintaining global peace
Three weeks before India joins the United Nations Security Council
after a gap of nearly two decades, US President Barack Obama has
underlined the significance of the UN's 15-member powerful wing in
maintaining world peace and preventing war.
President Barack Obama during a statement at the White House in
Washington on Monday |
Obama dropped in a White House meeting of the National Security
Advisor Tom Donilon, with Permanent Representatives to the UN of 15
current Security Council members, and of the five countries including
India whose two-year elected terms on the Council begin in January.
The meeting lasted for about 45 minutes.
Indian Ambassador to UN, Hardeep Singh Puri, was present at the
meeting, wherein Obama congratulated the new members including India on
becoming the non-permanent member of the Security Council for a two year
term beginning January 2011.
The US Ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, who holds the presidency of
the Security Council for the month of December had convened a day-long
series of meetings for these Ambassadors in Washington, which included
meetings with the lawmakers at the Capitol Hill and those with the top
State Department officials at its Foggy Bottom headquarters.
Obama stressed the importance of the Security Council remaining
united in urging all parties to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement on
Sudan to abide by their commitments, particularly in light of the
upcoming referendum scheduled for January, the White House said in a
statement.
"President also underscored the importance of continued Security
Council support for non-proliferation, building on the strong work that
has been done to hold North Korea and Iran accountable for their failure
to live up to their obligations," it said.
Obama also noted the broader role that the Security Council has in
supporting peace, security and development around the world, the White
House said.
"The President then led a discussion that covered a wide range of
issues facing the council, including nuclear non-proliferation, the
Middle East, Haiti, Somalia, Sudan, Iran, North Korea and our shared
efforts to combat terrorism," it said.
The Hindu |