非洲—非洲在联合国安理会要求更多的发言权

Africa Demands Greater Voice on UN Security Council

非洲在联合国安理会要求更多的发言权

 

The African Union has formally submitted a proposal at the United Nations that would dramatically upgrade Africa's strength on the Security Council. The plan calls for creation of two permanent African seats at the Council table, with full veto powers.

 

Introducing the African Union draft resolution Monday, Nigeria's U.N. Ambassador, Aminu Wali, said it was aimed at correcting a fundamental imbalance on the Security Council.

 

Aminu Wali: Africa considers now is time most opportune¹ to take a decision on this matter, on which there have been several debates over the years. The issues are clear, the challenge obvious and the opportunities enormous.

 

The A.U. plan calls for increasing the Council membership from 15 to 26 members. Of the 11 new seats, five would be occupied by permanent members with full veto powers, including two from Africa.

 

Two of the six additional non-permanent seats would also be reserved for countries selected by the African group.

 

The plan is similar in many respects to one submitted last week by Brazil, India, Germany and Japan, the so-called G-four group of aspiring² permanent Council members. The main difference is the African demand that new permanent members be given full veto powers.

 

The G-four countries know their proposal cannot win the necessary two-thirds support in the General Assembly without support from the 53-nation African bloc³. Negotiations⁴ on a compromise are to begin Tuesday in hopes of bringing the matter to a vote by next week.

 

But initial reaction has been cool from several quarters. Only five African nations spoke⁵ in support of the measure at Monday's General Assembly session, and Ambassador Abdallah Baali of A.U. member, Algeria, said many countries are concerned about what they see as a rush to vote.

 

Abdallah Baali: We would like to see Security Council reform before September, this is our aim, it is in nobody's interest to have the status quo in the Security Council, so now we need to do it, and they believe we still have time to do it. What they believe is not right is to put pressure on us to do it during the days to come.

 

Other ambassadors also urged a go-slow approach. China's U.N. representative Wang Guangya emerged from Monday's meeting repeating his concern that trying to rush a decision on Council enlargement could split the membership, and damage the chances for approval of a broad package of reforms endorsed⁶ by a high-level panel earlier this year.

 

Secretary-General Kofi Annan is urging the General Assembly to vote on the reform package when world leaders gather in New York in September to mark the world body's 60th anniversary.

 

Peter Heinlein, VOA News, the United Nations.

 

注释：

submit [sEb5mit] vt. 提交，递交

upgrade [5Qp^reid] vt. 提升

veto [5vi:tEu] n. 否决，否决权

fundamental [7fQndE5mentl] adj. 根本的，基本的

opportune [5CpEtju:n] adj.（指时间）凑巧的，恰好的

additional [E5diFEnl] adj. 另外的

reserve [ri5zE:v] vt. 保留

aspire⁷ [Es5paiE] vi. 热望，渴望

bloc [blCk] n. 行动一致的集团、政党或国家

compromise [5kCmprEmaiz] n. 妥协，折衷

status quo [steitEs 5kwEu] n. 现状

go-slow [5^Eu5slEu] adj. 审慎的，不慌不忙的

1 opportune   

adj.合适的，适当的

参考例句：

• Her arrival was very opportune.她来得非常及时。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

2 aspiring   

adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求

参考例句：

• Aspiring musicians need hours of practice every day. 想当音乐家就要每天练许多小时。
• He came from an aspiring working-class background. 他出身于有抱负的工人阶级家庭。 来自辞典例句

3 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

4 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 aspire   

vi.(to，after)渴望，追求，有志于

参考例句：

• Living together with you is what I aspire toward in my life.和你一起生活是我一生最大的愿望。
• I aspire to be an innovator not a follower.我迫切希望能变成个开创者而不是跟随者。