President John Dramani Mahama has renewed calls for urgent reform of the United Nations Security Council, insisting that Africa deserves a permanent seat at the world body’s most powerful decision-making organ.
Addressing the 80th General Assembly in New York on Thursday, President Mahama said the UN’s current structure remained outdated and tilted in favour of powers that emerged after World War II.
He argued that the system continued to grant them what he described as “almost totalitarian guardianship” over global affairs.
“If the UN truly believes in the sovereign equality of its members, Africa must have a permanent seat on the Security Council,” the President declared to delegates.
Mr. Mahama further called for a review of the veto power reserved for the five permanent members of the Council which are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, stressing that it should not remain absolute.
“No single nation should be allowed to use the veto to protect its own interests during conflicts. The General Assembly must have the authority to challenge it,” he said.
The President recalled former South African leader Nelson Mandela’s landmark 1995 speech at the UN in which he made a similar plea for Africa’s representation.
“Thirty years later, we are still making the same demand. So I ask, if not now, then when?” he asked, drawing attention to the long-standing frustrations of the African continent.
President Mahama’s remarks echoed growing global concerns about the credibility and inclusiveness of the UN system, with many member states pushing for reforms to make the Security Council more representative of today’s geopolitical realities.
