President John Dramani Mahama has renewed calls for Africa to be given permanent representation on the United Nations Security Council, saying the continent’s exclusion weakens the credibility of the global body.
Addressing the United Nations, President Mahama said Africa’s growing population and influence in the General Assembly made its continued absence from the permanent membership of the Security Council difficult to justify.
“Africa is home to 1.5 billion people, over 18 percent of humanity, and constitutes the largest regional voting bloc in this General Assembly,” he said.
Despite this, Africa remains the only major region without a permanent seat on the Security Council. Mahama said this imbalance reflected inequalities from the past that continue to shape global decision-making.
“For Africa and people of African descent, Mr. President, the injustices of the past remain embedded in today’s power structures,” he said.
He argued that the current structure of the Security Council was shaped by the geopolitical realities that existed after the Second World War and no longer fully reflects the world today.
“We cannot credibly champion the sovereign equality of nations while preserving a global governance structure that was designed for the post-war geopolitical realities,” he said.
Mahama called for Africa to be given a permanent seat with the full rights and responsibilities that come with membership. He stressed that the reform should not be seen as a favour to Africa but as part of efforts to make the UN more representative.
“Security Council reform is not a favor to Africa, it is an imperative for the legitimacy, the credibility, and the survival of the United Nations,” he said.
His remarks add Ghana’s voice to the long-standing African campaign for reform of the Security Council and greater representation in decisions on international peace and security.
