UN Chief Calls Africa’s Security Council Exclusion Unfair, Outdated

UN Chief Calls Africa’s Security Council Exclusion Unfair, Outdated

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, has described Africa’s continued exclusion from permanent membership of the UN Security Council as “indefensible”, calling for urgent reforms to reflect today’s global realities.

Guterres made the remarks while addressing world leaders, stressing that Africa—home to more than 1.4 billion people and a major focus of the Council’s peace and security agenda—remains without a single permanent seat in the UN’s most powerful decision-making body.

According to him, the current structure of the Security Council no longer reflects geopolitical realities of the 21st century and undermines the credibility and legitimacy of the United Nations.

“Africa is dramatically under-represented. This is not only unfair, it is indefensible,” Guterres said.

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He noted that while Africa accounts for a significant proportion of issues discussed by the Council—including peacekeeping operations, sanctions, and conflict resolution—it remains excluded from permanent decision-making power, including the veto.

The UN chief reiterated his support for long-standing African demands for at least two permanent seats and additional non-permanent seats on the Council, in line with the African Union’s Common African Position on UN reform.

Guterres also warned that failure to reform the Security Council risks eroding trust in multilateral institutions at a time when global cooperation is most needed to address conflicts, climate change, terrorism, and humanitarian crises.

Calls for reform of the Security Council have intensified in recent years, with African leaders, alongside countries from Latin America and Asia, arguing that the current structure—largely unchanged since 1945—reflects post-World War II power dynamics rather than present-day global realities.

Despite widespread agreement on the need for reform, progress has been slow due to disagreements among UN member states, particularly the five permanent members who hold veto power.

 

UN Chief Calls Africa’s Security Council Exclusion Unfair, Outdated