From June 30th to1October 30th, 2005, the 4th African Union Summit was held in Abuja, Nigeria. The meeting agreed to set up a committee composed of foreign ministers of 15 member countries to study the issue of strengthening Africa's role in the United Nations. On February 20-22 of the same year, the foreign ministers' committee of fifteen countries held an emergency meeting in Swaziland to discuss the reform of the Security Council and reached a series of understandings. On March 7-8 of the same year, the seventh special session of the Executive Council of the African Union was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The meeting made a decision entitled "Africa's Common Position on UN Reform: Nzuwini's Understanding". It reflects the understanding reached at the meeting of fifteen foreign ministers' committees (note: common position on the proposed reform of the United Nations: Ezulwini Consensus, ext/ex. CL/2 (ⅶ))。 The document clearly points out that Africa's goal in expanding the Security Council is to seek full representation in the Security Council, specifically requiring no less than two permanent members with veto power and five non-permanent members. At the same time, it also expressed its opposition to the veto in principle, but it also opposed the practice of giving different treatment to new and old permanent members. In addition, the decision also believes that African candidates and their selection criteria should be decided by the African Union. Nzuwini's knowledge became the most important decision-making basis of the African Union's position on Security Council reform.
Africa's final position
At the beginning of July, 2005, at the Sirte Summit of the African Union, African leaders attending the meeting reiterated the same position embodied in Nzuwani's knowledge. The summit approved the Declaration on Africa's Representation in the Security Council drafted by the Executive Council before the summit. The Declaration called for "two permanent seats including veto power and five non-permanent seats to be allocated to African countries" and reiterated that "the legitimate rights of Africa need to be rebuilt on the basis of fair and equitable geographical representation" (Note: Sirte Declaration on UN Reform, assembly/au/decl.2 (v)). The AU subsequently submitted this position as a proposal to the 59th UN General Assembly for discussion. Since then, the AU held its fourth special summit in Addis Ababa in early August of the same year, which once again clarified the previously agreed position and formally refused to support the proposal of the "Four-Power Alliance" on Security Council reform. The summit also decided to set up a committee composed of 10 heads of state to seek the world's support for the AU position.