The United Nations stands for equity and inclusion but the same qualities seem to be missing in one of its most powerful bodies, the Security Council. It does not reflect the current realities of the world we live in and also does not provide an equal platform to all member states. Recent comments made by the Secretary General of the UN and the current president of the Security Council have sparked hope for the underrepresented African nations.
The Structure of the United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council was formed in 1945 after the Second World War. Its main job is to maintain international peace and security through deploying peacekeeping bodies, imposing sanctions and also passing legally binding decisions. It gave permanent position and veto powers to five member states; United States, United Kingdom, China, Russia and France. These members were important global players right after World War II. There are also ten member states that are chosen to be a part of the Security Council on a rotative and temporary basis. No reformation or change has taken place in the structure of the UNSC since it was created in 1945. The five permanent seats do not reflect the economic and geopolitical realities anymore. There have been talks to reform the Security Council by increasing the number of permanent member positions and giving more representation to countries in Africa, South America and the Caribbean.
Africa’s Position
Africa is one of the underrepresented regions in the United Nations despite its size and population. Most of Africa was under European rule when the Security Council was formed, making them unable to fully engage in the global politics of that time. However, now the continent has one of the fastest growing populations and is also significantly contributing to the global economy. The continent’s 54 nations make up for 28% of the member states in the United Nations. Five out of eleven of the United Nations’ peacekeeping missions are being carried out in Africa. The UN has had growing involvements in the African continent, without much representation for African countries in terms of positions of power.
The Push for a Permanent Seat
On Monday, UN’s Secretary-General, Antonio Gueterres made it clear that the structure of the Security Council has failed to keep pace with the changing world and contemporary political environment. This does not fare well with the UN’s principles of equity and inclusion.
Sierra Leone President, Julius Maada Bio, spoke at the UNSC meeting emphasising on Africa’s underrepresentation. He also demanded that there should be two permanent seats in the UNSC as well as two supplementary non-permanent seats for the African continent given the historical underrepresentation of the region as well as its growing importance in global affairs. He suggested that the African Union, a local intergovernmental body like the European Union, should be responsible for choosing the two permanent member states. They also demand that the veto vote be demolished.
