Addressing the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Monday (12 August) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres criticised it as being “an outdated structure” with a “lack of representation for Africa”.
According to him these undermine the “credibility and global legitimacy” of the UNSC.
He told the 15-member UNSC its composition reflected the balance of power at the end of World War Two (September 1945) and failed to keep pace with a changing world.
“In that year most of today’s African countries were still under colonial rule and had no voice in international affairs.
“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 under-valued on questions of peace and security, both on the continent and around the world.”
What was needed to correct what a UN statement said was “an injustice” included heeding longstanding calls from the UN General Assembly (GA), various geographic groups – from the Arab Group to the Benelux, Nordic and CARICOM (Caribbean Community) countries – and some permanent UNSC members.
Turning to his July 2023 policy brief – New Agenda for Peace – Guterres said it was a framework “at the heart of negotiations over the Pact of the Future”. The Pact comes up for adoption at the September Summit of the Future. The summit in New York is billed as a high-level event bringing together world leaders to forge a new international consensus on delivering a better present and safeguarding the future.
He sees the 20 to 23 September Summit as an opportunity to ensure all countries “can meaningfully participate in global governance structures as equals” and urged attendance and contributions “so that African voices are heard, African initiatives are supported and African needs are met”.
The 15-member UNSC includes five permanent members with veto power (the ability to block decisions, even if all other members support the proposal) – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) – with the remaining 10 non-permanent seats allocated regionally.
The regional allocation includes three seats for African States; two each for Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Western Europe and Other States, and one for Eastern European States.
The question of equitable representation has been on the agenda for several years, including through the General Assembly’s open-ended working group and inter-governmental negotiations.
There has been “some modest reform”, such as the recent automatic convening of a General Assembly debate whenever a veto is cast, aiming to enhance transparency and accountability.
Calls for major reform continue, particularly from underrepresented regions, according to the world body.
Dennis Francis, President of the General Assembly, pointed out that the General Assembly is actively addressing the issue through intergovernmental negotiations, and urged Member States to engage constructively towards substantial reform.
“Our objective is to create solutions, along a well-designed process. And most importantly, to win back the trust and the confidence of ‘we the peoples’ of the United Nations,” he said, recounting the first words of the Preamble of the UN Charter.
“The fact that Africa continues to be manifestly underrepresented on the Security Council is simply wrong, offending as it does both the principles of equity and inclusion,” Francis said. “It runs counter to the principle of sovereign equality of states and calls for the urgency to reform this institution to reflect the world as it is now, rather than what it was nearly 80 years ago.”
Speaking at the UNSC, Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio said Africa demands two permanent seats in the UNSC and two additional non-permanent seats.
“The African Union will choose the African permanent members. Africa wants the veto abolished. However, if UN member states wish to retain the veto, it must be extended to all new permanent members as a matter of justice,” he said.
