With Under-Representation in Voice, Over-Representation in Challenges, Africa Must Have Permanent Seat, Secretary-General Tells Security Council, Citing ‘Glaring Omission’

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the Security Council debate on “Maintenance of Peace and Security:  Addressing the Historical Injustice and Enhancing Africa’s Effective Representation in the United Nations Security Council”, in New York today:

I thank Sierra Leone for convening this debate.  Since 1945, the United Nations Security Council has been a bedrock of global peace and security.  But, the cracks in its foundation are becoming too large to ignore. They are contributing to deadlock, stalemate and stagnation around today’s most pressing crises.  And they are feeding a broader crisis of credibility and legitimacy that is affecting multilateralism itself.

The Security Council was designed by the victors of the Second World War, and reflects the power structures at that time.  The world has changed since 1945.  But, the composition of the Council, despite a few changes, has not kept pace.

In 1945, most of today’s African countries were still under colonial rule and had no voice in international affairs.  This created a glaring omission that has remained unresolved until now:  there is no permanent member representing Africa in the Security Council, and the number of elected members from the continent is not in proportion to its importance.

We cannot accept that the world’s pre-eminent peace and security body lacks a permanent voice for a continent of well over a billion people — a young and rapidly growing population — making up 28 per cent of the membership of the United Nations.  Nor can we accept that Africa’s views are undervalued on questions of peace and security, both on the continent and around the world.

Africa is under-represented in global governance structures — from the Security Council to international financial institutions — but over-represented in the very challenges these structures are designed to address.  Conflicts, emergencies and geopolitical divisions have an outsized impact on African countries.

This Council’s agenda demonstrates this.  Nearly half of all country-specific or regional conflicts on your agenda concern Africa.  They are often exacerbated by greed for Africa’s resources — which are vital to the global economy — and further spread and aggravated by the interference of external actors.

The message is clear.  There can be no global security without African security.

Meanwhile, African countries are ground down by crushing debt burdens and a lack of financing thanks to the global financial architecture, in which they are underrepresented and denied the level of support they require. And they contend with ferocious flooding and droughts caused by a climate crisis they did nothing to create.

But, through it all, Africa has proven to be a willing and able partner for peace — particularly with the United Nations — both on the continent and beyond.  Through the Joint United Nations-African Union Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security, we are addressing complex challenges on the continent — from the Central African Republic, to Somalia, the Sahel and the crisis in Sudan.

We are working with the African Union and regional and subregional organizations, such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to end the scourge of terrorism, which has killed tens of thousands on the African continent — including 11 of our personnel in the Abuja bombing of 2011.

Together, we are helping to ensure security, stability, and respect for human rights and the rule of law, while supporting democratic processes and institutions.

And this Council’s resolution 2719 (2023) has now established a framework for predictable financing of African Union-led peace support operations authorized by the Security Council through assessed contributions — an important vote of confidence in African capacities, and in our partnership.  We are now developing a joint road map to carry this forward.

Meanwhile, African countries host almost half of all UN peacekeeping operations, while contributing troops of their own to global hotspots over the years, including now in Lebanon.  Over 40 per cent of UN peacekeepers are African.

And let’s not forget the meaningful efforts made by African-led forces to restore peace — from Somalia to Lake Chad, from Mozambique to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In times of crisis and geopolitical division, African countries are often among the first to champion peace, multilateral solutions and adherence to international law and the UN Charter.  But, African efforts and contributions are not being matched by African representation.

Ensuring this Council’s full credibility and legitimacy means heeding the longstanding calls from the UN General Assembly, various geographic groups — from the Arab Group, to the Benelux, Nordic and Caribbean Community countries — and some permanent members of this Council itself, to correct this injustice.

For different parts of the world to contribute to its proceedings, reform of this Council’s membership must be accompanied by a democratization of its working methods.

A New Agenda for Peace puts forward a number of ideas — from more burden sharing among Council members to more systematic consultations with host States and regional organizations, as well as with countries contributing troops and police.  It also calls for improvements and innovation in other parts of the global architecture whose work has a bearing on peace and security.

It recommends that Member States elevate the work of the Peacebuilding Commission to realize its untapped potential and help mobilize support for national and regional prevention strategies.  This includes closer ties with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and regional development banks to secure sustainable financing for countries as they strengthen peace and security — with important implications for countries on the African continent.  The Peacebuilding Fund has been a critical catalyst to mobilize the contributions of international financial institutions.

The Agenda also calls for a revitalized role of the General Assembly in the area of peace and security.  A New Agenda for Peace has been informing negotiations on the Pact for the Future, to be adopted at next month’s Summit of the Future.

The Summit provides a critical opportunity to make progress on these issues, and help ensure that all countries can meaningfully participate in global governance structures as equals.  I urge all Member States to attend and contribute their views and ideas so that African voices are heard, African initiatives are supported and African needs are met.

African voices, African insights and African participation must be brought to bear across the Council’s deliberations and actions.  This is not just a question of ethics and justice.  It is also a strategic imperative that can increase global acceptance of the Council’s decisions — benefitting Africa and the world.

I call on all Member States to seize this opportunity to forge an ambitious Pact of the Future that paves the way for a global peace and security architecture that truly represents all countries, equally.