[ad_1]
Antonio Guterres says the current makeup of the United Nations has failed to keep pace with a changing world
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for reforms to the Security Council, including a permanent seat for Africa, saying the continent’s underrepresentation at the UN is unacceptable.
Guterres made statement Monday in New York during a debate on addressing “historical injustices and strengthening effective representation of Africa” on the UN Security Council.
He criticised the commission’s current structure as outdated, claiming it had failed to keep up with a changing world.
“Africa is underrepresented in the structures of global governance, from the Security Council to the international financial institutions, yet overrepresented in the challenges these structures are designed to address,” the UN Secretary-General noted. “Conflicts, emergencies and geopolitical divisions have a huge impact on African countries.”
“We cannot accept that the world’s most important peace and security institution is without a permanent voice representing a continent of more than a billion people,” Guterres stressed.
The Security Council has 15 members, including five permanent members: Russia, China, the United States, the United Kingdom and France, which have veto power over any resolution. Algeria, Mozambique and Sierra Leone currently represent Africa as non-permanent members.
Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone Tell The Security Council said on Monday that Africa wants two permanent seats and two non-permanent seats.
“Eighty years after its creation, the Security Council has remained stagnant. Its unbalanced composition is inconsistent with current realities, is unjust and undermines its legitimacy and effectiveness. Africa remains the undoubted victim,” Maada Bio said.
“Africa wants the veto to be abolished. However, if UN member states want to keep the veto, it must be extended to all new permanent members, in an equitable way,” the leader of the West African country said.
The 55-member African Union (AU) has long sought permanent membership of the UN Security Council. In 2005, the group established the C-10 Group, whose main mission is to propose, advocate and secure a common African position on Security Council reform.
Last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed support for the AU’s bid for a seat on the UN Security Council and the G20, noting that this would reflect African countries’ strong desire to have their voices heard.
The AU was formally admitted to the organization at the G20 summit held in New Delhi, India in September.
Earlier this year, Guterres told reporters in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, that the five permanent members of the UN Security Council were “in favor” of Africa’s demand for adequate representation on the Security Council.
（RT.com）
[ad_2]
Source link
