Accra, June 20, GNA - Africa's continuous exclusion from the UN Security Council has to be addressed to reflect the modern times, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Minister of Foreign Affairs said on Monday. "When the UN was formed, most of Africa was under colonial rule; now we are a liberated people and deserve a place in the most important organ of the UN," he said.

A statement the Ministry issued in Accra said Nana Akufo-Addo said this when he and a member of the African Union's Core Group of Three on the UN Reforms, held discussions aimed at seeking support for Africa's position on the proposed UN reform with the French Foreign Minister, Philippe Douste-Blazy in Paris, France on June 17 2005.

Mr Doute- Blazy told Nana Akufo-Addo that France would support Africa on the issue and said France would present Africa's position to the other permanent members on the proposed reforms.

The statement signed by Mr Michael Ofori-Atta, Public Relations Officer of the Ministry, recalled that at the Seventh Extraordinary Session held in Addis Ababa from March 7 to March 8 2005 the Africa Union (AU) Executive Council adopted the Ezulwine Consensus, which embodied the common African position on the proposed UN Reforms. At that Extraordinary session it was agreed that a committee of 10 AU countries with two from each region would be set up to work with the AU Core group of three to propagate the African position to the rest of the international community.

The UN core group of three comprised Nana Akufo-Addo, Ambassador Olu Adeniji, Foreign Minister of Nigeria and Professor Alpha Omar Konare, Chairman of the AU Commission.

The AU Committee of 10 on the other hand included Djibouti and Ethiopia for East Africa; Benin and Senegal for West Africa; Libya and Algeria, North Africa; Botswana and South Africa, Southern Africa and Congo Brazzaville and Chad for Central Region.