Africa should be granted a permanent seat on the Security Council – UN chief

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his belief that the absence of a permanent seat for Africa at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is an unfair situation.

He emphasized that the current structure of the UNSC is hindered by geopolitical divisions and fails to accurately represent the realities of the modern world.

Out of the 15 members of the Security Council, only five hold permanent seats, namely Russia, China, the US, UK, and France, granting them the power to veto any resolution.

Guterres made these remarks during a press engagement following his address at the Third South Summit of the G77 plus China, a group of developing countries, in Kampala, Uganda.

He acknowledged that although most African nations were not independent when UN institutions were established, the fact that the continent lacks a single permanent member on the Security Council is a clear injustice. Guterres also noted that all five permanent members of the council have shown support for Africa’s demand for proper representation.

He expressed hope that, for the first time, there is a possibility of achieving a partial reform of the UNSC to rectify this injustice and grant Africa at least one permanent seat. However, he emphasized that the outcome ultimately depends on member states and the General Assembly, but he remains cautiously optimistic about the prospects for change.

The African Union (AU), consisting of 55 nations, has been actively pursuing permanent representation in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for a considerable period of time. To further this objective, the AU established the C-10 group in 2005, which is primarily responsible for presenting, advocating, and garnering support for the unified African stance on reforms within the Security Council.

The AU aims to secure two permanent seats on the council, but currently, it is represented by Algeria, Mozambique, and Sierra Leone as non-permanent members.

Notably, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his endorsement last year for the AU’s inclusion in both the UNSC and the G20, emphasizing the importance of amplifying the voices of African nations.

In September, the AU was officially granted membership in the G20 during the bloc’s summit in New Delhi, India. Prior to this, South Africa had been the sole African country with G20 membership.