United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has renewed calls for permanent African representation on the UN Security Council, saying the current structure of the body no longer reflects the realities of the modern world.
Mr Guterres made the remarks as the High-Level General Debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly opened in New York on Tuesday, with President Emmerson Mnangagwa among world leaders attending the official opening.
In his opening address, the UN chief highlighted what he described as persistent inequalities in global governance, pointing to Africa’s continued absence from the permanent membership of the Security Council.
“The Security Council was designed in the aftermath of World War Two, but the world has fundamentally changed since then, a change that is far from reflected in the Security Council. The most stunning example is Africa,” Mr Guterres said.
He noted that most African countries were still under colonial rule when the United Nations was established in 1945, yet the continent remains without a permanent seat on the council more than eight decades later.
“Today, Africa still has no permanent representation on the council,” he said.
Mr Guterres said the situation was difficult to reconcile with the realities of the 21st century, linking the issue to wider questions of power and inequality within the international system.
“A 21st century Security Council without permanent African seats, Excellencies. The second test of power is inequality. Inequality is often framed as an economic problem, but it is a power problem,” he said.
The Secretary-General also called for reforms to the international financial system, expressing concern over the growing debt burden confronting developing countries.
He said many developing nations were being denied opportunities for sustainable development because of unequal access to affordable financing.
“No country should be denied a sustainable future because it is on the wrong side of a deeply unequal financial system,” Mr Guterres said.
He added that many developing countries were facing unsustainable debt, disasters and limited access to affordable finance despite having contributed relatively little to some of the global challenges they face.
Mr Guterres further raised concerns over inequalities affecting women and girls, citing discrimination, violence, exclusion and abuse.
The General Assembly debate brings together leaders from across the world to present their countries’ positions on major international, political, economic and security issues.
President Mnangagwa is scheduled to address the General Assembly on Thursday.
