2. The twin objectives of the Summit were to review the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to make decisions on a comprehensive package of measures to reform the UN.

3. On both these objectives the Summit failed to meet the high expectations that had been generated by this historic occasion. In essence, it failed to deliver on the universally recognised need to fundamentally reform the post-1945 architecture of international relations, including its central multilateral forum, the United Nations.

4. A series of studies and reports informed the preparations for the Summit, including the Cardosa Report on the UN and Civil Society; the Report of the High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change; the Jeffrey Sachs Millennium Project Report: "Investing in Development"; and the Report of the UN Secretary-General: "In Larger Freedom". All Member States participated in the consultative process as well as in the negotiations on a final Outcome Document for the consideration of Heads of State or Government.

5. The Summit succeeded on some issues such as the establishment of a Peace building Commission, the elevation of the Human Rights Commission to a Human Rights Council and "the responsibility to protect" populations from genocide, war crimes, etc. It endorsed the MDGs, supported quick-impact initiatives to help lagging countries achieve the MDGs and welcomed the decisions of the G8 Summit. It also reaffirmed the Special Needs of Africa and supported the development of a ten-year capacity building programme with the AU in a co-operation effort with Regional Organisations to strengthen peacekeeping.

6. However, it notably failed to take decisions on a key issue such as the reform / expansion of the Security Council (SC) and did not make any reference to disarmament and non-proliferation. Whilst terrorism was strongly condemned, a proposed definition of terrorism was not endorsed. There were no new initiatives on trade and development as previous agreements and initiatives were merely reaffirmed. The Summit therefore endorsed an Outcome Document that fell short of expectations after negotiators failed to achieve agreement on many key reform issues.

B. UN REFORM: THE WAY FORWARD

7. On a number of important reform measures the Outcome Document contains in principle decisions that defer the details for further negotiations during the current session of the General Assembly (UNGA60), especially in the period before 31 December 2005. UN reform therefore remains a work-in-progress.

8. Among the issues and 'details' that need finalisation are some that were considered pillars of the overall reform package namely, the Human Rights Council, the Peacebuilding Commission, the reform of the SC, as well as UN Secretariat and management forums.

THE AFRICAN UNION AND UN REFORM:

9. Many of the outstanding issues are of great importance to Africa. The 5^th Extra-Ordinary Assembly of the AU convened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 31 October 2005 to consider a report from the Committee of Ten (CIO) Heads of State and Government, who had been mandated to present and advocate for the Common African Position with other regions of the world.

10. The AU Assembly reaffirmed the African Common Position as embodied in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration and Resolution and stressed the importance of African unity. The Assembly reverted back to the expanded Ministerial Follow-up Mechanism (the Committee of 15+3- See Annexure A with a mandate to submit a resolution on the Common African Position to the UN General Assembly for adoption. The Follow-up Mechanism was also mandated continue to present, canvas, advocate and seek support for the African Common Position.

11. Regarding SC reform, the AU resolution takes into account the need to strengthen the UN Institutions in order to enhance the efficiency of the organisation, especially its principal organs and in particular the General Assembly and Security Council. The resolution is mindful of the need to ensure Africa's representation in the SC like all the other regions of the world. Realising the need to engage fully all regions of the world in the work of the UN and to enlist their support for the progress of humanity, the resolution resolves to enlarge the SC in both the permanent and non-permanent categories and to improve its working methods. In this context, the resolution accords new permanent members the same prerogatives and privileges as the current permanent members including the right of veto, and distributes the additional SC seats and increases its membership from 15 to 26 in accordance with the Ezulwini Consensus as follows:

Two from Africa

Two from Asia

One from Latin America and Caribbean Stales

One from Western European and Other States

Non-Permanent Members:

Two from Africa

One from Asia

One from Eastern European States

One from Latin American and Caribbean States

The AU has not yet decided on the two African countries to fill the permanent seats if the SC was expanded and will do so at a more appropriate time as the final UN Security Council reform package is negotiated.

The South African Approach:

12. South Africa (in President Mbeki's statement to the Summit) observed that our approach to the challenge to commit and deploy the necessary resources for realisation of the Millennium Development Goals has been half-hearted, timid and tepid" and that "in truth we have not made the decisive progress we thought we would make with regard to the critical issue of the reform of the United Nation

13. South Africa concluded that "the reason we have not made the progress we should have, during the last five years, is precisely because we have not as yet achieved what the Outcome Document described as 'a security consensus'" and that ' have not achieved that 'security consensus' because of the widely disparate conditions of existence and interests among the Member States of the UN as well as the gross imbalance of power that define the relationship among these Member States".

14. South Africa had participated actively in the various negotiating forums leading up to the UN Millennium Review Summit, including the Africa Group, the Group of 77 and China and the Non-Aligned Movement. South Africa also chaired Group of Fifteen countries that was established by the previous General Assembly President to lead the final round of negotiations.

15. South Africa will continue its active and positive engagement in efforts to reform and revitalise the United Nations to ensure that the Organisation is able to adequately meet the global challenges of the 21^st Century.

ANNEXUREA

NAMES OF THE COMMITTEE OF 15+3

AU Chair - Nigeria

Ezulwini Process Chair - Ghana

Chair of the AU Commission - Prof A Konare

COMMITTEE OF 15

Southern Region

South Africa

Botswana

Angola

Eastern Region

Ethiopia

Djibouti

Kenya

Western Region

Senegal

Benin

Gambia

Northern Region

Algeria

Libya

Egypt

Central Region

Chad

Congo-Brazzaville

Gabon