The Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, has called for the UN Security Council (UNSC) to reform its outdated structure and assign Africa a permanent seat at the table, stressing that the continent is underrepresented.
Addressing the council on Monday during a high-level debate, Guterres said the composition of the UNSC has failed to keep pace with a changing world.
“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,” he said.
Presently, the 15-member UNSC consists of five permanent members with veto power – China, France, Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom – while the remaining 10 nonpermanent seats are allocated regionally.
The 10 seats include three seats for African states; two each for Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Western Europe and other states; and one for Eastern Europe.
In May, the UNSC had called for the role of African countries to be strengthened in addressing global security and development challenges.
On his part, President of the UN General Assembly, Dennis Francis the UN must reflect the world as it is.
“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,” he said.
