Guterres makes case for Africa, calls for UN Security Council reform, “To begin with, the UN Security Council needs to democratize.”
On Saturday, the UN Security Council’s uneven representation was questioned by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Additionally, he argued in favor of Africa having a permanent seat on the council.
He posed the question in a post on X, “How can we accept that Africa still lacks a single Permanent Member in the Security Council?”
The composition of the United Nations Security Council, probably the most potent multilateral organization in the world, has come under further scrutiny. Nations around the world, particularly those in Africa and Latin America, have expressed concern about the uneven representation.
Mr. Guterres stated that institutions should represent the world of today, not the world of eight decades ago, and that the September Summit of the Future will provide a chance to discuss changes to global governance and to reestablish confidence.
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After attending the just-finished Non-Aligned Movement meeting in Uganda, he made this statement.
Over the years, the African Union and its members have questioned the Security Council’s makeup and have demanded that at least one permanent seat be given to an African nation.
Macky Sall, the president of the African Union, reaffirmed the demand for Africa’s seat on the Council during the UN General Assembly in 2022.
“It is time to overcome the reluctance and deconstruct the narratives that persist in confining Africa to the margins of decision-making circles,” he told the General Assembly.
According to Mr. Sall, the Ezulwini Consensus reflects Africa’s right and legitimate demand for Security Council reform, and it is time to give it due. Nothing has changed in the past two years to improve the Council’s inclusivity.
The African Union adopted the Ezulwini Consensus, which is a stance on international relations and UN reform. It demands a more democratic and representative Security Council, including representation from Africa and all other parts of the world.
Germany declared in March 2023 that it would back the African Union’s request for permanent seats on the Council.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated during a visit to Kenya, “Germany therefore supports the efforts for permanent African seats on the UN Security Council and we also support a formal seat for the African Union within the G20,”
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India declared that the AU’s entry into the G-20 would fortify both the G20 and the voice of the Global South when it was announced in September 2023.
Ten elected members of the Security Council are chosen every two years, in addition to the five permanent members. The permanent members are the Russian Federation, China, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom.
While each Council member is only allowed one vote, permanent members have an additional voting power known as the “right to veto,” which represents the main idea of Animal Farm by George Orwell, which is that “all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.”
Guterres Makes Case for Africa, The Case for Nigeria
Speaking on a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, made a similar argument for his country, stating that the world must uphold democracy and the rule of law if it hopes to close the trust gap between the North and the South. Such, he said, had to begin with entities that make decisions, such as the Security Council.
“To begin with, the UN Security Council needs to democratize. It is not fit for purpose. Nigeria… is the most populous country on the African continent… it belongs in the UN Security Council,” Mr Tuggar said.
He suggested that the Council abolish the veto power concept, citing its “clumsiness” and ineffectiveness, as well as its detrimental effects on international security.
“We have a situation where, in the past, during the bipolar world, there was neutral ground for diplomats to engage, allowing diplomacy to resolve issues, preempt conflicts, and diffuse them. Unfortunately, we do not have that anymore,” he remarked.
