Updated
Updated · Business Insider Africa · Sep 23
Guterres Denounces Africa's 0 Permanent UN Council Seats as 54-Nation Bloc Demands 2
Updated
Updated · Business Insider Africa · Sep 23

Guterres Denounces Africa's 0 Permanent UN Council Seats as 54-Nation Bloc Demands 2

3 articles · Updated · Business Insider Africa · Sep 23

Summary

  • At the 81st UN General Assembly, António Guterres said a Security Council with no permanent African seat more than 80 years after the UN’s founding is “unjust and indefensible.”
  • Africa has 54 of the UN’s 193 member states but still only rotates through non-permanent seats, a gap Guterres said shows the council no longer reflects current global realities.
  • The African Union is using UNGA81 to press its Ezulwini Consensus demand for at least two permanent seats and five non-permanent seats for Africa, with veto powers equal to existing permanent members.
  • General Assembly President Khalilur Rahman and South Africa backed faster reform talks, while France has also voiced support, but the five veto-wielding permanent members remain unchanged.

Insights

Will the current permanent members ever willingly dilute their exclusive veto power to grant Africa its long-overdue seats?
Could Africa's continued exclusion from the Security Council ultimately trigger a mass exodus from the outdated United Nations system?