UN Secretary General wants 'Africa's voice to be heard'

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an increased effective African presence at the UN Security Council (UNSC) to ensure the "full credibility and legitimacy" of the organization.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres affirmed the important role of Africa in this organization. (Source: UN Photo)

Speaking at the high-level debate on "Resolving historical injustices and enhancing effective African representation at the Security Council" on August 12, Mr. Guterres emphasized that the Security Council has been the foundation of global peace and security since 1945, but is currently facing many challenges.

The UN Secretary-General pointed out that the world has changed, but the composition of the Security Council "has not kept up".

"We cannot accept that the world's leading peace and security body lacks a permanent voice for a continent with more than one billion people, accounting for 28% of the UN's membership," he affirmed.

Through the UN-African Union Joint Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security, the UN is working to address complex challenges on the continent, from the Central African Republic to Somalia, the Sahel and the Sudan crisis, Mr. Guterres added.

He also stressed the important role of African countries in peacekeeping operations, with nearly half of the operations held in Africa and more than 40% of UN peacekeeping forces being African.

Finally, the UN Secretary-General called on all Member States to attend the Future Summit in September and contribute their voices so that “Africa’s voice is heard, Africa’s initiatives are supported and Africa’s needs are met”.

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