Africa should be granted permanent representation on the UN Security Council, Ghanaian President John Mahama said on Tuesday, arguing that the continent’s continued exclusion undermines the legitimacy of the body.
Speaking at a meeting marking the 65th anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Belgrade, Serbia, Mahama said that the current international system does not reflect global realities.
“It is no longer acceptable for Africa to be excluded from permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council,” Ghanaian president said.
Mahama also urged NAM members to turn their numerical strength into greater political influence, while preserving the group’s independence and translating statements into diplomatic action.
“Today’s world needs a multilateral system that is stronger, more representative, and more responsive,” the president stressed. “For the Council to earn the trust and legitimacy of the international community, it must better reflect the world it serves.”
The Ghanaian leader cited the adoption of a UN General Assembly resolution recognizing the slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity as an example of what countries of the Global South can achieve through collective action.
The Security Council currently has five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US – and ten elected members serving two-year terms. Three African countries – the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, and Somalia – currently hold non-permanent seats. Africa, despite having 54 UN member states, has no permanent representation on the body.
Calls for permanent African representation on the UN Security Council have intensified in recent years. African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf has described the continent’s exclusion as a “historical injustice,” while leaders including Kenyan President William Ruto have backed at least two permanent African seats with veto powers.
Russia has also backed greater African representation. President Vladimir Putin has called for the body to be expanded to include countries from Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The NAM was founded in Belgrade in 1961. It currently comprises 120 member states, mainly from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and serves as a major platform for cooperation among countries of the Global South.