LUSAKA, Zambia — African countries are intensifying their long-standing push for permanent representation—and veto power—at the United Nations Security Council, arguing that their growing role in global peacekeeping can no longer be ignored.
The latest push is underway in Lusaka, where the African Union’s Committee of Ten (C-10), which includes Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, has convened for its 13th ministerial meeting.
The C-10 is the African Union’s designated bloc for spearheading the continent’s case for Council reform.
“Our exclusion from permanent membership is a historical injustice,” said one C-10 official. “Africa remains central to the UN’s peace and security work, yet shut out of the most consequential decisions.”
Africa is seeking two permanent seats with veto power and five non-permanent seats—an agenda guided by the Ezulwini Consensus of 2005.
The current Council makeup comprises five permanent members (the US, UK, France, China, and Russia) and ten rotating non-permanent seats, of which Africa holds only two at any given time.
With preparations underway for a renewed diplomatic offensive during the UN General Assembly in September, African leaders are expected to amplify calls for reform on the global stage.
An Unequal Burden
Despite lacking permanent status, Africa has been at the heart of the Security Council’s work.
Nearly 70 per cent of the Council’s deliberations since its inception have focused on the continent.
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Africa has hosted over 30 UN peacekeeping missions—more than any other region.
“Africa contributes more than a quarter of UN member states and half of all peacekeeping troops,” noted another diplomat attending the Lusaka meeting. “It’s unconscionable that we have no say in decisions that affect our own people.”
The push for reform has found reinforcement in recent global developments.
Africa’s inclusion as a full member of the G20—a group of the world’s largest economies—has added momentum to its demands for more meaningful representation in other multilateral bodies.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has also lent support to the cause.
His 2023 reform blueprint, Our Common Agenda, explicitly calls for increased African influence in global decision-making.
Internal Hurdles, External Resistance
Still, Africa’s campaign is hampered by both internal divisions and external resistance.
While the demand for two permanent seats is broadly supported across the continent, the African Union has yet to agree on which countries would occupy them.
“There is still no consensus within the AU,” said one African diplomat in Lusaka, citing ongoing rivalries among regional powers like Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa. “Everyone wants a seat, but no one wants to give ground.”
Outside Africa, momentum for Council reform continues to stall. Veto-wielding powers remain reluctant to dilute their privileges, despite rising frustration from countries left out of the Council’s inner circle.
As the Lusaka session continues, African leaders are expected to finalize a unified strategy ahead of the UN General Assembly, where they hope to shift global opinion—and perhaps, the balance of power at the Council.
“We’re not asking for favors,” said one C-10 representative. “We’re demanding fairness.”
