Ambassador Tanin given UN key assignment
The Afghan Ambassador to the UN, Dr. Zahir Tanin, has been appointed as the point man of the UN General Assembly for holding inter-governmental negotiations on reforms and expansion of the powerful Security Council. This is a major achievement for Afghanistan and recognition of the growing stature as an independent and sovereign country at the international level.
Updated:
(10.13.2008)
The announcement in this regard was made by the General Assembly President, Miguel d'Escoto, in a letter to all the members States of the United Nations. The President said prior to beginning of the intergovernmental negotiations, the Open Ended Working Group (OEWG) on the issue will meet on November 17th.
D'Escoto said he has appointed Tanin as his points man to hold consultations with member States on the issue. The President plans to move aggressively on the democratization of the Council, his spokesman Enrique Yeves said. In this capacity, Dr Tanin will chair the informal meeting of the General Assembly and of the working group in an effort to find a resolution of the long pending expansion of the Council.
On November 17th, there will be a meeting titled "Open-ended Working Group on the Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council" and then the General Assembly will commence intergovernmental negotiations, on 21st November 2008, he said.
"These negotiations, as I have just announced, will be chaired on his behalf, by the Permanent Representative of Afghanistan, Zahir Tanin," the spokesperson said. Tanin, is one of the Vice-Presidents of the 63rd Session of the UN General Assembly.
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