Namibia urges UN Member States to take harder line against coups d’état

Governments that come to power through coups d’état should be banned from participating in all United Nations institutions, Namibia’s Foreign Minister told the General Assembly today, urging Member States to take a tougher line against undemocratic transfers of power.

Speaking on the fifth day of the high-level debate, Marco Hausiku said the 192-member General Assembly should “urgently pass a resolution” that prohibits unelected regimes from participating in UN activities.

“There is a need for the UN to support the AU [African Union] principle position of not recognizing governments that come to power through military coups,” he said.

On Friday the Assembly voted to deny a delegation from Madagascar, where the president was ousted earlier this year following violent political unrest, permission to address the high-level segment.

Today, Mr. Hausiku called for closer cooperation between the UN and the AU, especially on issues of peace and security.

“Such cooperation should also include the areas of financing, logistics, transfer of technology and training,” he added.

Mr. Hausiku also welcomed the recent joint communiqué of the UN Security Council and the AU’s Peace and Security Council on strengthening the capacity of the AU in peacekeeping operations.

Currently the AU and UN have a joint peacekeeping operation in the Darfur region of western Sudan (known as UNAMID) that is working to quell the fighting and alleviate humanitarian suffering.