Africa’s desire to be fully represented in all decision-making bodies of the United Nations (UN), especially the Security Council, stems from three factors. First, to redress the historical injustice of Africa’s under-representation in world governance. Second, to recognize Africa’s contribution in shaping the modern world order. Third, the urgency of ensuring the legitimacy of the United Nations in the face of new threats to international peace and security.
At the Fifth Ordinary Assembly of the African Union held in Sirte, Libya in 2005, African leaders adopted the Ezulwini Accord, which expressed their desire for Africa to be fully represented in all decision-making bodies of the United Nations, especially the Security Council.
Over the past 80 years, Africa has experienced misperceptions and inadequacies regarding the United Nations system.
The media, academics and global political actors portray the African continent not as an agent of progress, but as a collection of underdeveloped and incompetent societies that are constantly receiving aid. The continent is excluded from the permanent membership of the Security Council and is under-represented in the non-permanent seats.
Africa’s common position on UN reform calls for at least two permanent members with all the privileges and rights of permanent membership, including veto power.
Africa also wants five non-permanent seats on the Security Council.
Reform of the Security Council is long overdue. Its structure of five veto-holding permanent members and 10 non-permanent members with two-year terms is outdated and reflects the makeup of world powers at the end of World War II.
The Security Council is the most powerful organ of the United Nations and the primary body responsible for maintaining international peace and security. Its decisions are binding on UN member states. Africa is the only region without a permanent seat on the Security Council, despite accounting for 54 of the 193 UN member states and representing 17% of the world’s population.
The Security Council is facing a crisis of credibility due to its failure to address the greatest conflicts of our time. Expanding representation and democratizing its working methods are essential to ensure its legitimacy, credibility and effectiveness in addressing future security challenges.
Historical injustice
The goal of the African Common Standing is to right the “historical injustice” of lack of representation and recognition, and the many injustices the continent has endured over the past 500 years.
Western industrialization was literally built on African slavery. For Africa, the slave trade had devastating and irreversible consequences in the form of population decline, increased wars to enslave more people, mass migrations, and environmental destruction that exacerbated disease and food insecurity.
This sad history dates back to Berlin in 1884, when European leaders divided the continent among themselves.
A major consequence was the imposition of a colonial state that divided communities and operated based on a logic of exploitation and oppression of the population, which is still felt today in the continent’s unmanageable systems of governance that are often at odds with democracy and the rule of law.
This has led to intractable violent conflicts. For three decades, since the end of the Cold War in 1991, African conflicts have dominated the Security Council’s agenda. African issues have accounted for nearly 50 percent of Council meetings and 70 percent of resolutions. Africa is (always) on the agenda, but Africans (always) do not have a seat at the table.
Berlin also laid the foundations for the neo-colonialism that continues to characterize Africa’s economic relations with wealthy countries, with Africa losing an estimated $203 billion a year to illicit financial flows, multinational corporate profits and environmental destruction.
In 1945, world leaders met to found the United Nations. Of the original 51 member states, only four were African: Egypt, Ethiopia, Liberia, and the Union of South Africa. Most of Africa was still under colonial rule.
Africa’s Contribution to the United Nations
Africa has not simply received assistance from the United Nations, but has actively contributed to its success.
The gaining of independence from African countries in the 1960s prompted reform of the Security Council, adding African elected seats and expanding the Council from 11 to 15 members in 1965.
UN practice and jurisprudence have developed through the work of African countries, with landmark events including the declaration of apartheid as a crime against humanity in 1973 and the adoption of the International Apartheid Convention.
Successive African countries have led informal reforms to the Security Council, including:
Share responsibility for African issues, promote closer ties between the United Nations and regional organizations, and ensure that security interventions respond to the needs of people in conflict situations. African countries have long lobbied the Security Council for poverty reduction and the control of the circulation of small arms as conflict prevention strategies.
Ensuring the legitimacy of the United Nations
Finally, the United Nations needs reform to ensure its legitimacy in an uncertain future where new security threats constantly emerge, including the climate crisis, new pandemics and new technologies such as artificial intelligence.
The institution’s credibility has been undermined by its failure to resolve major disputes over the past decade.
When an organization is perceived as exclusive and unfair, members will not cooperate with it.
Looking to the future
The United Nations will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2045. At that time, Africa will have a population of 2.3 billion, accounting for 25% of the world’s population. Africa’s youth will become the global workforce and consumer base, and drive the global economy. Will the members of the Security Council remain the same?
(Since 1945, the nature of global threats and the definition of international security have changed dramatically. Such threats can only be resolved by a Security Council that represents the interests and perspectives of all humanity.
Author: Sithembile Mbete, Senior Lecturer in Political Science, University of Pretoria
