African Governments Demand More Representation In The UN Security Council

African Governments have reaffirmed their demand for two permanent seats and about five non-permanent seats in the United Nations (UN) Security Council.
In their submissions during an Informal Plenary meeting of the General Assembly on equitable representation in the membership of the Security Council, several African countries and other friendly nations backed the calls for more representation of the 54-nation continent in the Security Council.
Zambia’s permanent representative to the UN Dr Mwaba Kasese-Bota, said the African proposal sought to redress the historical injustice to the continent through the Security Council composition and processes.
"It is the position of the African Group that there should be expansion in both the permanent and non-permanent categories with the new permanent members exercising all privileges and obligations that go with permanency tenure," Dr Kasese- Bota said.
She said in her submission to the Council that despite Africa being subject to 70 percent of the Security Council’s decisions, the continent did not have permanent representatives.
Dr Kasese-Bota who called for change of the status quo however said Africa exercises flexibility on issues of maintaining or abolishing the veto for all permanent members of the Council.
She said Africa was opposed to any piecemeal approach but comprehensive style.
And Botswana’s representative to the UN Charles Ntwaagae said Africa remained committed to reforming the Security Council to make it more representative, more accountable, more democratic and inclusive in its composition and method of work.
"The identification of the candidate countries to occupy the Permanent Seats should be left to the wisdom of African leaders to decide on," Ambassador Ntwaagae said.
And Coordinator of the C-10 Group negotiating on behalf of the African Group, Ambassador Shekou Touray, of Sierra Leone said support for the African Common position continued to receive support in the continent's quest to claim permanent membership in the Security Council and address the historical under-representation.
Ambassador Touray said the UN Security Council was the principal decision-making organ in matters relating to international peace and security.
Currently the UN Security Council is composed of five permanent members being China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and 10 non-permanent members of which only South Africa and Togo are from Africa which has the largest number of UN members.

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