Antonio Guterres says the “most difficult obstacle” to the continent’s proper representation has been “overcome”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has vowed to ensure that Africa has two permanent seats on the Security Council (UNSC) before his tenure ends. He is currently serving his second term, which began in January 2022 and expires in December 2026.
The UN chief made the commitment on Wednesday during an engagement with journalists in South Africa’s capital, Pretoria. Guterres is visiting the African country, which became the first on the continent to take over the rotating presidency of the Group of 20 major economies this month.
“At the present moment, we have, I would say, a consensus of the P5 [five permanent members] that two permanent African members should exist in the Security Council. So, the most difficult obstacle is overcome,” he said.
The Security Council has 15 members, five of which are permanent – Russia, China, the US, the UK, and France – and which have the right to veto any resolution. Algeria, Mozambique, and Sierra Leone currently represent Africa as non-permanent members.
The 55-nation African Union (AU) has long sought permanent representation on the UNSC. In 2005, the bloc formed the C-10 group, whose primary mission is to present, advocate for, and rally support for the common African position on Security Council reforms.
Four months ago, Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio told the council that the continent wants two permanent seats and two additional nonpermanent ones. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has also recently insisted on reforms at the UNSC, noting that the world’s security should not be left to “a few major powers.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that the AU’s seat on the UNSC and the G20 would reflect African nations’ desire to have their voices strongly heard. Last year, the bloc was formally admitted to the G20 at a summit in New Delhi, India.
Guterres, who has repeatedly criticized the UNSC’s current structure as outdated, has deemed the continent’s underrepresentation at the organization as unacceptable. During a Security Council debate in New York in August, he called for reforms that would include allocating a permanent seat to Africa.
On Tuesday, Guterres told reporters that a committee that is working in the General Assembly on the reform of the Security Council is “working seriously.”
“I am hopeful that I will not finish my mandate as secretary-general without seeing African permanent members in the Security Council,” he declared.
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