UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged for Africa to be granted a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, advocating for reforms to correct historical injustices and better reflect the modern global landscape. The Security Council, currently dominated by five permanent members—China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US—has long been criticised for its outdated structure, which reflects the geopolitical realities of 1945 when much of Africa was still under colonial rule.
‘The world has changed since 1945, but the composition of the Council has not kept pace,’ Guterres emphasised during a debate on the matter convened by Sierra Leone on Monday. He argued that the current setup fails to represent the interests of a continent that now comprises over a billion people, accounting for 28 percent of the UN’s membership.
While the Security Council includes 10 non-permanent members, allocated by region, these members lack the veto power held by the five permanent members. The African Union has consistently pushed for the continent to have two permanent seats on the Council, in addition to two non-permanent seats, to ensure that Africa’s voice is adequately represented.
Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio, who led the debate, echoed these calls, stating, ‘The time for half-measures and incremental progress is over. Africa must be heard, and its demands for justice and equity must be met.’
The UN Security Council plays a critical role in global peace and security, including authorizing peacekeeping missions, imposing international sanctions, and determining the UN’s response to conflicts worldwide. The lack of permanent African representation has long been a point of contention, especially given the continent’s disproportionate exposure to conflicts and peacekeeping operations.
UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis and other UN officials supported Guterres’ call for reform. Guterres highlighted that Africa is underrepresented in the Council and international financial institutions but is ‘over-represented in the very challenges these structures are designed to address.’
He pointed out that nearly half of all UN peacekeeping operations are in Africa, with 40 percent of UN peacekeepers being African. Guterres stressed that aligning African representation with the continent’s contributions is not only a matter of justice but also a strategic necessity that would enhance global acceptance of the Council’s decisions.
The United Nations, established after World War II, originally had only four African nations—Egypt, Liberia, Ethiopia, and South Africa—among its founding members. Guterres argued that the inclusion of Africa in the Council’s permanent membership is crucial for the legitimacy and effectiveness of the UN in the 21st century.
‘It is also a strategic imperative that can increase global acceptance of the Council’s decisions—benefitting Africa and the world,’ Guterres concluded.
