UN Chief Advocates for Africa to Have a Permanent Seat on the Security Council

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for urgent reform of the Security Council, emphasizing the need for more representation for Africa.

Guterres criticized the outdated structure of the Security Council, which he argued has failed to keep up with the changing world and lacks proper African representation.

He highlighted that most African countries were under colonial rule at the end of World War Two and had no voice in international affairs, which he described as an injustice that needs to be corrected.

Guterres stressed that the Security Council’s credibility and legitimacy are at stake when Africa, with a population of over a billion people, lacks a permanent voice. He urged the Council to heed calls for reform from various geographic groups and the UN General Assembly to address this longstanding injustice.

The current composition of the 15-member Security Council includes five permanent members with veto rights and 10 non-permanent seats distributed regionally, with three seats allocated for African states. However, calls for significant reform persist, particularly from underrepresented regions.

Following Guterres’ remarks, Dennis Francis, President of the UN General Assembly, also emphasized Africa’s significant role in global peace and security and called for reform to enhance Africa’s effective representation on the Security Council. He shared insights from his visits to South Sudan and Haiti, highlighting Africa’s growing role in addressing global security challenges.

Francis noted that the UN General Assembly is actively engaging in intergovernmental talks to address the issue and urged Member States to participate constructively towards significant reform in the Security Council.

Overall, there is a growing push for reform to ensure fair and adequate representation for Africa on the global stage.

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