UN Chief Antonio Guterres Calls for Permanent Seat for Africa at Security Council
New York [US], August 13: The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has called for a permanent seat for Africa at the UN Security Council, emphasizing the need for reforms. During a high-level debate, Guterres stated that the current composition of the UNSC has not kept pace with a changing world.
Guterres said, “We cannot accept that the world’s preeminent peace and security body lacks a permanent voice for a continent of well over a billion people … nor can we accept that Africa’s views are undervalued on questions of peace and security, both on the continent and around the world.”
The UNSC has five permanent members: China, France, Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, each with veto power. The remaining 10 non-permanent seats are distributed regionally, including three for African states.
UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis also supported the call for reforms, stating, “The fact that Africa continues to be manifestly underrepresented on the Security Council is simply wrong, offending as it does both the principles of equity and inclusion. It runs counter to the principle of sovereign equality of states and calls for the urgency to reform this institution to reflect the world as it is now, rather than what it was nearly 80 years ago.”
Doubts Revealed
UN -: UN stands for the United Nations. It is an international organization where countries come together to discuss and solve global issues like peace, security, and human rights.
Antonio Guterres -: Antonio Guterres is the Secretary-General of the United Nations. He is like the head or leader of the UN, helping to guide its work and make important decisions.
Security Council -: The Security Council is a part of the United Nations that focuses on maintaining peace and security around the world. It has 15 members, but only 5 of them have permanent seats and special powers.
Permanent Seat -: A permanent seat means a country is always a member of the Security Council and has special powers, like the ability to veto decisions. Right now, only 5 countries have these permanent seats.
Reforms -: Reforms are changes or improvements made to a system or organization. In this case, it means changing the way the Security Council is set up to make it fairer.
UN General Assembly -: The UN General Assembly is another part of the United Nations where all member countries can discuss and vote on important issues. It is like a big meeting where everyone gets a say.
Dennis Francis -: Dennis Francis is the President of the UN General Assembly. He helps to lead the discussions and make sure everyone’s voice is heard in the General Assembly.
Equity and Inclusion -: Equity means fairness, and inclusion means making sure everyone is included. In this context, it means making sure all regions, like Africa, have a fair and equal say in important decisions.
