Africa’s fight for UN Security Council equity intensifies at UNGA 79

ONOME AMUGE

In the face of mounting global crises and conflicts, the United Nations, conceived as an international organisation designed to safeguard peace, foster inter-state cooperation, and serve as a hub for coordinating the actions of its member states, is increasingly being called into question over its perceived inadequacies, inconsistency, double standards, and inequalities in a world besieged by hunger, terrorism, injustice, and geopolitical tensions, among other issues.

As the UN struggles to live up to its original mandate and tackle these pressing challenges, many are beginning to doubt whether the organisation remains relevant and effective in a rapidly changing global landscape.

As a global chorus of condemnation grows louder, African leaders are leading the charge to hold the international system, particularly the United Nations, accountable for its structural shortcomings, which have led to inaction, double standards, and inequality in the face of mounting humanitarian crises.

With the continent plagued by occupation, hunger, terrorism, and injustice, the call for reform has reached fever pitch, as African leaders rally behind the need for an expanded security council with additional permanent seats for African nations to ensure their voices are heard and their issues prioritised in the global arena.

Speaking at the recent 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), African leaders echoed a unified call for an inclusive and representative Security Council that fairly addresses the longstanding imbalance in its composition.

They emphasised the importance of expanding the Council’s membership to include more voices from around the world, especially from the African continent, to ensure that security decisions reflect the global community’s diverse perspectives.

In 2005, the African Union (AU) adopted the Ezulwini Consensus, calling for two permanent African seats on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), including the right to veto, which is currently enjoyed by the five permanent members of the Council.

While the AU member states have made their position clear, the actual implementation of UNSC reform has yet to materialise. Though the five permanent members of the UNSC have, at various points, expressed support for African representation in the Council, the necessary steps to enact such reforms have remained out of reach, hindered by geopolitical tensions and competing interests.

African leaders delivered their arguments at the 79th UN General Assembly, stating how the legacy of colonialism and its enduring effects have left their continent systematically excluded from the security council.

The leaders underscored the gravity of this exclusion, pointing out that it is not simply about representation, but a profound issue of influence, denying African countries the ability to contribute meaningfully to critical global discussions on conflict resolution, climate change, and sustainable development.

Highlighting the Council’s obsolete and inadequate structure, African leaders made a case for security council reform, emphasising the urgent need for the 15-member body to reflect the contemporary world.

They argued that the council’s current form is ill-equipped to address the issues facing the world today, warning that the UN’s credibility and efficacy are undermined when the voices of marginalised regions, especially Africa, are ignored in the face of peace and security challenges on the continent.

Badr Ahmed Mohamed Abdelatty, Egypt’s foreign affairs minister, in his address, expressed concerns about the systemic weaknesses of the international system, which has resulted in ineffectiveness, double standards, and inequality in the face of crises.

Abdelatty underscored the need for urgent action, saying it was time to “ring the alarm bells,” and then outlined a path forward rooted in multilateralism. 

The Egyptian foreign affairs minister also outlined several steps towards a more just and effective international system, calling for the modernisation of multilateral banks and the restructuring of international institutions to better represent the global community.

Abdelatty underscored Egypt’s support for an expanded United Nations Security Council with additional permanent seats, stressing the need for greater African representation in global security decision-making.

In his address to the UN General Assembly, William Ruto, the president of Kenya, echoed the call for reform, underscoring his country’s ongoing commitment to regional stability and security, while also acknowledging the glaring shortcomings of current international cooperation.

Ruto called for a forthright assessment of the existing global security architecture, notably the UN security council, citing the body’s limited effectiveness in maintaining international peace and security, and asserting the need for reforms that would address the systemic weaknesses of the current system.

Ruto minced no words in his criticism of the UN security council, describing it as a dysfunctional body plagued by profound inequities and undemocratic decision-making processes.

He decried the council’s exclusion of 54 African countries, representing 1.4 billion people, and challenged the legitimacy of a single nation wielding veto power over the remaining 193 member states, asserting that such an arrangement is fundamentally antithetical to the principles of democracy and fairness.

“The existing international security architecture, represented by the UN Security Council, continues to hamper efforts to maintain international peace and security. The Council is dysfunctional, undemocratic, non-inclusive, unaccountable, autocratic, and opaque. An institution that excludes 54 African countries, representing 1.4 billion people, while allowing one nation to veto decisions of the remaining 193 member states, is unacceptable. 

“We must urgently seek to make the Security Council truly representative, inclusive, transparent, effective, and accountable. 15.We in Africa are not advocating for reform and collective action solely at the UN. In fact, we are also in the process of comprehensively reforming the AU to become a fit-for-purpose institution that can effectively represent African nations globally and deliver prosperity,” he stated.

Adama Barrow, president of The Gambia added to the growing clamour for change, recalling the key findings of the Summit of the Future, which had pointed to human actions as the primary culprit in the global community’s current crisis.

Speaking out against the devastating impact of human activities on the environment, economy, and society, Barrow urged the international community to recognise the dire implications of its continued failure to address the root causes of global problems.

Reflecting on the pressing global challenges confronting the world today, President Barrow highlighted the need for decisive action on multiple fronts, urging for a comprehensive overhaul of the UN System, particularly the UN Security Council.

“We must equally strive for a more representative, just, and inclusive United Nations to shape the world we so dearly want,” he said. 

King Letsie III of Lesotho echoed the call for a more robust role for the security council in maintaining global peace and stability, highlighting the body’s foundational responsibility to safeguard the security of the international community.

In an appeal for greater cooperation between the security council and regional organisations, King Letsie III drew attention to the provisions of Chapter VIII of the UN Charter, underscoring the urgent need for the council to collaborate more effectively with regional actors to confront the complex security challenges facing the world today.

“The strengthening of this cooperation is crucial for the swift resolution of regional conflicts,” he said, stating that the Security Council must reflect the UN membership for its decisions to enjoy greater legitimacy.

“We therefore advocate for a comprehensive reform of the Security Council, supporting the common African position known as the ‘Ezulweni Consensus’,” he said.

Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, Equatorial Guinea’s vice president, added his country’s voice to the growing chorus of African leaders calling for UNSC reform.

Highlighting the two-decade-long demand for a just resolution to the UNSC’s composition, Mangue reiterated Africa’s call for two permanent seats with full veto powers, along with five additional non-permanent seats, reflecting the continent’s pressing need for greater representation and influence in global security decision-making.

Mangue criticised the UN Security Council for its perceived failure to effectively address global conflicts, arguing that the council’s inaction and inefficiency are indicative of its inability to fulfil its mandate.

Citing the proliferation of conflicts and the council’s role as a platform for geopolitical interests, rather than a mediator of peace, Mangue deplored the prolongation of suffering and the escalation of instability in regions afflicted by conflict, stressing the urgent need for reform and renewed focus on global security cooperation.

The Security Council must end its “obsolete composition which dates back to 1945” that disadvantages Africa, he stated.

President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera of Malawi, in his speech, stressed the crucial role that multilateralism plays in shaping the future for generations to come, arguing that the relationships between UN Member States, whether cooperative, competitive, or confrontational, will determine the kind of world “we create for those who follow in our footsteps”.

According to Chakwera, true global cooperation and unity require a concerted effort to reform the United Nations and other key multilateral institutions, embracing a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable approach to international relations.

“One fix that we from Africa demand is for the United Nations to embrace democracy in the Security Council by giving Africa two permanent seats with veto power,” he said.

President Chakwera reaffirmed the growing demand for greater representation of African countries and their concerns within the Security Council, urging that the time to address this critical issue is now.