Africa’s long-running campaign for permanent representation on the United Nations Security Council is back in focus at the 81st UN General Assembly, with leaders renewing calls to reform a body whose five permanent members have remained unchanged since 1945.
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members → run → 1945
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres used his final address to the General Assembly on Tuesday to renew his call for Security Council reform, saying it must become more representative and better reflect today’s geopolitical realities.
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it → use → realities
Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima, delivering President Bola Tinubu’s national statement, called for at least two permanent seats for Africa, with veto powers for as long as the veto exists, as well as five non-permanent seats for the continent.
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veto → deliver → continent
Ghana’s President John Mahama made a similar appeal: “Security Council reform is not a favour to Africa; it is an imperative for the legitimacy, credibility and survival of the United Nations”.
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it → make → Nations
The renewed calls highlight the scale of Africa’s demand.
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calls → renew → demand
But translating them into an agreement that changes the Council’s structure remains a far more difficult task.
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that → translate → structure
A reform process that has stalled
The Security Council has 15 members: five permanent members, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, and 10 members elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms.
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Council → stall → terms
The five permanent members hold veto power, allowing any one of them to block a substantive Council resolution.
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one → hold → resolution
No African country has a permanent seat.
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country → have → seat
Yet Africa remains central to much of the Council’s work.
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Africa → remain → work
In 2025, the Council adopted 44 resolutions, including 24 under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which covers measures such as sanctions and authorisations for the use of force.
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which → adopt → force
Eighteen of those 24 Chapter VII resolutions concerned Africa.
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Eighteen → concern → Africa
“The status quo is not really interested in change,” he told Al Jazeera.
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he → tell → Jazeera
“In the appointment of the Secretary-General, you cannot be a candidate unless each of the five permanent members agrees.
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each → agree → members
Therefore, we have the privilege of the unelected P5, which they don’t want to relinquish.”
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they → have → which
Gambari said Africa’s absence was difficult to justify given the continent’s size and the amount of Security Council business involving it.
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absence → say → it
“In the case of Africa, we have a whole continent that has the largest single bloc, yet has no permanent seat on the Security Council,” he said.
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he → have → Council
The General Assembly launched the intergovernmental negotiations process on Security Council reform in 2008.
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Assembly → launch → 2008
The talks cover the Council’s size, membership categories, regional representation and the veto, and have continued through successive General Assembly sessions without agreement on the core questions.
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talks → cover → questions
Changing the Council’s permanent membership would also require an amendment to the UN Charter.
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Changing → change → Charter
Under Article 108, that requires approval by two-thirds of the General Assembly and ratification by two-thirds of UN members, including all five permanent members.
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that → require → members
That gives the existing permanent members a formal role in any change to the system that grants them permanent membership and veto power.
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that → give → membership
Nigeria wants a permanent seat
Which African countries would eventually occupy any new permanent seats is another unresolved issue.
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occupy → want → seats
Nigeria has consistently presented itself as a country prepared to take on such a role.
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Nigeria → present → role
At this year’s General Assembly, the country renewed its call for at least two permanent African seats with all the rights and responsibilities of permanent membership, including the veto for as long as it exists.
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it → renew → veto
Dr Fola Aina, a political scientist and international security expert at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London, told Al Jazeera the issue also carried particular significance for Nigeria.
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issue → tell → Nigeria
“Securing this position would essentially elevate Nigeria’s global diplomatic influence, give Africa a continuous voice in international security decisions and grant Nigeria the power to consolidate its position as a regional hegemon and middle power,” he said.
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he → secure → hegemon
“The timing of Nigeria’s push is particularly strategic given the current age of strategic competition.”
Nigeria is not alone in seeking a permanent role.
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Nigeria → give → role
Egypt and South Africa have also pursued permanent representation, while other African states have expressed interest.
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states → pursue → interest
The African Union, however, has not selected specific countries to occupy the proposed seats.
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Union → select → seats
Its common position calls for at least two permanent African seats and five non-permanent seats on an expanded Council, with the AU determining which countries should represent the continent.
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countries → call → continent
The veto question
Even if agreement could be reached on who should represent Africa, another obstacle would remain: the veto.
The African Union’s Ezulwini Consensus calls for any permanent African members to have the same rights and privileges as the existing permanent members, including veto power for as long as the veto remains part of the Council’s system.
African governments have therefore argued that adding permanent seats without equivalent powers would not fully address the imbalance they are seeking to correct.
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they → reach → imbalance
That leaves two separate questions: whether the Council should expand and what powers any new permanent members would receive.
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members → leave → powers
A question of influence
Gambari argues that Africa’s absence also affects the Council’s day-to-day work.
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absence → argue → work
“All these peacekeeping missions in Africa are based on the mandate of the Security Council,” he said.
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he → base → Council
“The P5 assign themselves the role of penholders, which hardly allows elected non-permanent African countries to initiate draft resolutions affecting their region.”
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countries → assign → region
He said the imbalance was also visible in the way Security Council missions operate on the continent.
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missions → say → continent
“Even Security Council missions to Africa are not led by Africans nowadays.
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missions → lead → Africans
How can the parties in dispute have confidence in such a team?” he said.
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he → have → team
“Even for the Security Council’s continued relevance, it has to be reformed so that Africa can have representatives in the permanent seat category.”
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Africa → continue → category
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
