The United States is advocating for the allocation of two permanent seats for Africa on the UN Security Council, though without veto power. This proposed restructuring requires the approval of two-thirds of the UN General Assembly.
The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations announced this on Thursday, September 12, during a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations. Linda Thomas-Greenfield affirmed that her country supports the creation of additional permanent seats: two for Africa and a third for small island developing states. However, the American diplomat did not specify the total number of permanent and non-permanent members the expanded Council might have, should the U.S. ambition be realized.
“This development marks an important step toward increased recognition of Africa’s role in global governance and highlights the need to continue advocating for more substantial reform of international institutions,” said Yassine El Yattioui, an expert in international relations and Secretary-General of NejMaroc.
This initiative follows the announcement made two years ago by outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden, which was then seen as a move to ease Afro-American relations. Africa currently holds three non-permanent seats on the Security Council, limiting its scope of expression.
“With nearly 30% of UN member states, Africa is underrepresented on the Security Council, despite the importance of African issues in global debates,” Yassine El Yattioui emphasized. He added, “However, the continent is only represented by three non-permanent seats, with rotation preventing continuous or coherent representation of African interests.”
Established with 11 members in 1945, the Security Council is tasked with maintaining global peace and security and has the authority to impose sanctions, enact arms embargoes, and authorize the deployment of forces. In 1965, the number of members was increased to 15, comprising five countries with permanent veto power (Russia, China, France, the United States, and the United Kingdom) and 10 governments elected for two-year terms.
Any change in the structure of the UN Security Council must be enshrined in the UN Charter, which requires the approval of two-thirds of the General Assembly, including the five countries with veto power on the Council.
