In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the calls by African heads of states and governments to have a seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) grew louder.
Leading the charge at the 35th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU), Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed remained adamant that Africa’s voice on the world stage ought to be heard ‘loud and clear.’
“Africa’s voice on the world stage needs to be heard loud and clear. Africa must also be represented on important international bodies,” said PM Abiy.
Africa needs at least two permanent and five non-permanent seats on the Security Council.
Abiy added; “Today, more than seven decades after the creation of the United Nations, Africa remains a junior partner without meaningful input or role in the system of international governance.”
According to the Ethiopian Premier, the much sought-after reforms and revitalization of the UN system is long overdue so as ‘to reflect current global realities’ and ensure that it is a more representative and equitable body.
Abiy said that only fair representation and transparency in such global institutions can usher in a just era in multilateralism.
He said Africa should collectively insist that Africa’s reasonable request on representation at the UNSC should be adopted in line with the Ezulwini Consensus of 2005.
The Ezulwini Consensus is a position on international relations and reform of the United Nations, agreed by the African Union that calls for a more representative and democratic Security Council, in which Africa, like all other regions, is represented.
These calls are not new. In 2016 during the 26th AU Summit, former President of Zimbabwe, the late Robert Mugabe, called for reforms at the UNSC saying “if the United Nations is to survive we must be equal members.”
Former South African President Jacob Zuma called for reforms as well noting that “over 1 billion people cannot continue to be denied the voice…..in order to ensure that there is a representation at the UN, there must be reforms.”
Kenya’s Ambassador to the United Nations Martin Kimani on Tuesday 2nd February also called for urgent and fundamental reform of the UN Security Council to allow the full representation of African countries.
According to Kimani, this was necessary especially given that a majority of peace and security issues are taking place on the African continent.
He reiterated that at a time of increasing geopolitical rivalries by great powers, some of who are members of the Council, & their dangerous effects on third countries, a more balanced UNSC is key to protecting humanity from the difficult-to-predict major war.
“If this famous table is to truly prevent major wars, then its membership must expand or change substantively,” he said.
UN Security Council membership
The Council is composed of 15 members. The five permanent members are: China, France, Russian Federation, the UK, and the US. Ten non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly.
The most notable limitation and a major source of criticism is that the Council is insufficiently representative and democratic. This is because it is dominated by the veto-wielding permanent five members.
Attempts at reforming the Council’s composition, to broaden its geographical diversity, continue to be plagued by obstacles. Most notably, the lack of any consensus on the shape that reform should take.
The permanent five owe their status to historical circumstances. The US, Russia (at the time, the USSR), and UK were victorious allied powers who were the UN’s principal founders at the end of the Second World War.
France and China served as regional counterweights to a potentially resurgent Germany or Japan. The current status of at least some of these is increasingly questioned as to their global influence wanes while new powers have emerged in underrepresented regions of the world.
The election to a two-year, non-renewable term as a non-permanent member is the best that other countries can aspire to as a route towards exercising some influence and demonstrating leadership in respect of the international peace and security agenda.
Under a formula employed by the UN’s General Assembly when allocating non-permanent seats on the Council, three seats are reserved for African states. In its most recent election to the Council, held during 2020, Kenya overwhelmingly defeated Djibouti to replace South Africa.
Kenya presided over the rotational presidency at UNSC in the month of October 2021.
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