Questions over Africa’s exclusion from the permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council have resurfaced at the highest level, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres describing the continent’s continued absence as unjustifiable and calling for urgent reform of the council.
Speaking during the opening of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Guterres renewed his push for a Security Council that reflects the realities of the 21st century.
He argued that the current structure remains rooted in the geopolitical order that emerged after the Second World War, despite profound changes in the global balance of power.
The Security Council, which has primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, consists of 15 members — five permanent members and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.
The permanent members are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. They hold veto powers that allow any one of them to block substantive resolutions, even when those measures secure the required majority.
The question of Africa’s representation has remained a longstanding issue in debates over reform of the council. The African Union has consistently called for greater representation, including permanent seats with the same privileges and responsibilities as existing permanent members.
Guterres has repeatedly supported the reform agenda, arguing that global institutions must evolve to reflect contemporary geopolitical realities and give greater weight to regions that remain underrepresented in major international decision-making bodies.
The issue is particularly significant for Africa, where several conflicts and security crises have repeatedly featured on the international agenda. Supporters of reform argue that decisions affecting the continent should include stronger African representation at the highest level of global peace and security decision-making.
Guterres, who is serving his second five-year term as UN Secretary-General, is due to leave office at the end of 2026. His latest intervention adds renewed momentum to the longstanding debate over how, and whether, the Security Council should be restructured to reflect the realities of the modern world.
