Addis Ababa, August 13, 2024 (Addis Walta) UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, called the UN Security Council (UNSC) to reform its outdated structure and assign Africa a permanent seat at the table.
Addressing the UNSC on Monday, the UN chief stated that the existing composition of the council has not kept pace with the fast-changing world.
In his remarks to the Security Council debate on “Maintenance of Peace and Security: Addressing the Historical Injustice and Enhancing Africa’s Effective Representation in the United Nations Security Council”, in New York on Monday, the Secretary-General pointed out that the council has been a bedrock to global peace and security.
However, it has too big cracks at its foundation that can’t be ignored, he said. The UNSC was designed by the victors of the Second World War where most of today’s African countries languished under colonial rule with no voice in it.
“This creates a glaring omission that has remained unresolved until now: there is no permanent member representing Africa in the Security Council, and the number of elected members from the continent is not in proportion to its importance,” he said.
He added, “We cannot accept that the world’s preeminent peace and security body lacks a permanent voice for a continent of well over a billion people … nor can we accept that Africa’s views are undervalued on questions of peace and security, both on the continent and around the world.”
The UN chief noted that although the continent is overwhelmed by challenges such as conflicts, emergencies, climate change, and debt burden, Africa is underrepresented in the global governance system including the Security Council and international financial institutions.
“The message is clear,” the UN chief stresses, “There is no global security without African security.”
The Secretary-General called on all member states to support a global peace and security architecture equally representative of all countries, as per a press release by the UN.