Africa: under-represented in global governance - UN Chief Briefing | United Nations

Remarks by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on addressing the historical injustice and enhancing Africa’s effective representation in the UN Security Council. ------------------------------------------- Mr. President, Excellencies, I thank Sierra Leone for convening this debate. Since 1945, the United Nations Security Council has been a bedrock of global peace and security. But the cracks in its foundation are becoming too large to ignore. They are contributing to deadlock, stalemate and stagnation around today’s most pressing crises. And they are feeding a broader crisis of credibility and legitimacy that is affecting multilateralism itself. The Security Council was designed by the victors of the Second World War, and reflects the power structures at that time. The world has changed since 1945. But the composition of the Council, despite a few changes, has not kept pace. In 1945, most of today’s African countries were still under colonial rule and had no voice in international affairs. This created a glaring omission that has remained unresolved until now: there is no permanent member representing Africa in the Security Council, and the number of elected members from the continent is not in proportion to its importance. 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 — a young and rapidly growing population — making up 28 per cent of the membership of the United Nations. Nor can we accept that Africa’s views are undervalued on questions of peace and security, both on the continent and around the world. Mr. President, Excellencies, Africa is under-represented in global governance structures — from the Security Council to international financial institutions — but over-represented in the very challenges these structures are designed to address. Conflicts, emergencies and geopolitical divisions have an outsized impact on African countries. This Council’s agenda demonstrates this. Nearly half of all country-specific or regional conflicts on your agenda concern Africa. They are often exacerbated by greed for Africa’s resources — which are vital to the global economy — and further spread and aggravated by the interference of external actors. The message is clear. There can be no global security without African security. Meanwhile, African countries are ground down by crushing debt burdens and a lack of financing thanks to the global financial architecture, in which they are underrepresented and denied the level of support they require. And they contend with ferocious flooding and droughts caused by a climate crisis they did nothing to create. But through it all, Africa has proven to be a willing and able partner for peace — particularly with the United Nations — both on the continent and beyond. Through the Joint United Nations-African Union Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security, we are addressing complex challenges on the continent — from the Central African Republic, to Somalia, the Sahel and the crisis in Sudan. We are working with the African Union and regional and sub-regional organizations such as ECOWAS to end the scourge of terrorism, which has killed tens of thousands on the African continent – including eleven of our personnel in the Abuja bombing of 2011. Together, we are helping to ensure security, stability, and respect for human rights and the rule of law, while supporting democratic processes and institutions. And this Council’s Resolution 2719 has now established a framework for predictable financing of African Union-led peace support operations authorized by the Security Council through assessed contributions — an important vote of confidence in African capacities, and in our partnership. We are now developing a joint roadmap to carry this forward. Meanwhile, African countries host almost half of all UN peacekeeping operations, while contributing troops of their own to global hotspots over the years, including now in Lebanon. Over 40 per cent of UN peacekeepers are African. And let’s not forget the meaningful efforts made by African-led forces to restore peace — from Somalia to Lake Chad, from Mozambique to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In times of crisis and geopolitical division, African countries are often among the first to champion peace, multilateral solutions, and adherence to international law and the UN Charter. But African efforts and contributions are not being matched by African representation... Full remarks: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2024-08-12/secretary-generals-remarks-the-security-council-addressing-the-historical-injustice-and-enhancing-africas-effective-representation-the-security-council-bilingual


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