The Gambian leader, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya AJJ Jammeh has called for a just representation of nations in the United Nations particularly at the UN Security Council. President Jammeh made this remark during an interview with reporters at the Banjul International Airport shortly after his arrival Monday evening from the United Nations General Assembly in New York, and the Africa-South America Summit in Venezuela.

Professor Jammeh said Africans are demanding their legitimate rights to be fairly represented at the UN Security Council, noting that Africa despite being larger than Europe as a continent, has no permanent membership in the council while Europe is having a three-permanent member seat. "If you look at the developed world today, they developed as a result, and at the expense of Africa - African resources, African bloodshed and tears and instead of respecting Africans they disrespect us and called Africans all sorts of names," he stated. He said time has come for Africans to respect themselves and make sure that they are respected. "It is not a question of negotiating for Africa to be there but we are demanding our rights. If not we going to make sure that any resolution concerning an African country will not be binding on Africa," he stressed.

"If we are talking about democracy," Professor Jammeh went on, "there are only five permanent representatives in the UN Security Council, none of them representing Africa or South America; where is the democracy and human rights we talking about for Africans or for blacks?" he wondered.

Commenting on the issue of climate change, the Gambian leader said climate change is a serious issue but added that people including world leaders are more serious about it now. The president however emphasized that the climate change issue remains a big challenge. He expressed hope that the global climate change conference to be held in December in Copenhagen, Denmark will yield fruit.

President Jammeh then argued that the destructive floods taking place across the world are as a result of the effects of climate change mainly caused by the developed world. He asserted that the third world countries have take up a position "because it is unfair to pay the prize of what you have not done." He reiterated the fact that developing countries are bearing the brunt of climate change despite not being the perpetrators and called for a collective effort on the part of the third world to put a stop to it.

On the Africa- South America Summit, Professor Jammeh revealed that the summit witnessed the signing of agreement on Africa-South America Cooperation (ASPA), and also a very important agreement on establishing a bank of the South which will promote the South-South cooperation. According him, the rationale behind it is to avail the countries the opportunity to access loans on favorable terms. This bank of the South will be there to ensure that there is a new economic order

Report by Fatou Touray