Robert Mugabe off to New York

President Mugabe yesterday left for New York in the United States for the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, where global leaders are gathered to discuss some of the most pressing issues facing the world.

The African Union Chair is expected, apart from addressing the General Assembly in his capacity as President of Zimbabwe, to also have several engagements as leader of the continental bloc.

President Mugabe was seen off at Harare International Airport by his two Vice Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko, service chiefs, Cabinet Ministers and senior Government officials.

President Mugabe has long been a strong advocate for democratisation of the UN, particularly its powerful Security Council, as well as for reforms of the global financial architecture.

The UN Security Council has five permanent members with veto power and ten rotational seats without veto power.

The make-up of veto-wielding states has not changed since the first UN General Assembly in London, Britain in 1946 and there are increasing calls for this to change to reflect great shifts in geo-political affairs in the 70 years since.

The Ezulwini Consensus, capturing Africa's common position on UN democratisation, demands at least two permanent seats with veto power and five non-permanent seats on the Security Council.

The AU will determine which countries occupy the seats on the continent's behalf.

China, Britain, France, Russia and the US are the permanent members of the Security Council.

China and Russia have been warm to the reforms, as have emerging powers like India and Brazil who also want to sit on the UN Security Council.

Among the major issues up for discussion at the 70th General Assembly, which began on September 15, are global food security, peacekeeping, nuclear proliferation and the plight of thousands of Europe-bound refugees, mainly from North Africa and the Middle East, fleeing Western-instigated wars and instability.