News|United Nations

Officials at UN Security Council push for a permanent seat for Africa

Source: 12 August, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urges reform, says the African continent is underrepresented in a changing world.

This January 9, 2020, image obtained from the United Nations shows a general view of the Security Council meeting on maintenance of international peace and security and upholding the United Nations Ch
Despite Africa’s population of over a billion people, it does not have a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council [File: Mark Garten/United Nations/AFP]

Published On 12 Aug 202412 Aug 2024

The United Nations chief has called for the UN Security Council (UNSC) to reform its outdated structure and assign Africa a permanent seat at the table, stressing that the continent is underrepresented.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, Secretary-General Antonio 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.

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 called for the role of African countries to be strengthened in addressing global security and development challenges.