UN chief António Guterres has called for Africa to be given a permanent seat at the UN Security Council, a reform aimed at making the body more representative and globally credible.
Addressing the council on Monday, Guterres said the current composition of the Council was anachronistic and undermined the body’s legitimacy.
“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,” said Guterres. “Nor can we accept that Africa’s views are undervalued on questions of peace and security, both on the continent and around the world.”
The five permanent members of the Council – China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US – represent international power dynamics at the end of World War Two, when colonial rule still largely prevailed.
Ten non-permanent seats on the Council are allocated by region, but unlike the five permanent members, they do not have veto power.
The African Union has long lobbied for two permanent continental representatives on the Council and an additional two seats as non-permanent representatives.
