By Edson Baraukwa | Africa Guardian
Africa has long been portrayed by the media, academics, and global political actors as a region dependent on aid, overshadowing its potential as a driving force for progress. Despite its contributions, the continent remains excluded from permanent membership on the UN Security Council and is underrepresented in non-permanent roles. Africa’s demand for full representation in key UN decision-making bodies, particularly the Security Council, is grounded in three key principles: correcting historical injustice, acknowledging Africa’s role in shaping the world, and securing the legitimacy of the UN amidst rising global security threats.
In 2005, at the African Union’s fifth ordinary session in Sirte, Libya, African leaders endorsed the Ezulwini Consensus, articulating the continent’s demand for full representation in UN decision-making, especially within the Security Council. Africa’s history with the UN system has been one of marginalization. The global narrative often paints Africa as a place of backwardness and aid dependency, rather than a region of progress and leadership. The continent’s lack of a permanent seat on the Security Council reflects this misrepresentation.
Africa’s common position on UN reform is clear: the continent seeks no less than two permanent seats, with full privileges, including the veto power, and five non-permanent seats. The current structure of the Security Council, with five permanent members and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms, reflects a post-World War II power dynamic that no longer aligns with modern global realities. Despite making up 54 of the 193 UN member states and representing 17% of the world’s population, Africa remains the only region without a permanent seat.
The credibility of the Security Council is increasingly questioned due to its failure to address significant global conflicts. Expanding its membership and democratizing its decision-making process are essential to restoring its legitimacy and ensuring it can meet the security challenges of the future. Africa’s push for permanent representation aims to correct the “historical injustice” of exclusion, rooted in centuries of exploitation and marginalization. As African scholar Adekeye Adebajo highlights, the West’s industrialization was largely built on African slavery, which devastated the continent’s population, intensified warfare, and triggered ecological destruction.
Africa’s struggles with the UN date back to its foundation in 1945, when only four African countries—Egypt, Ethiopia, Liberia, and the Union of South Africa—were members. The rest of the continent remained under colonial rule. Since gaining independence, Africa has been an active contributor to the UN’s success. In the 1960s, newly independent African states successfully lobbied for the expansion of the Security Council, which added non-permanent seats for African countries.
African contributions to the UN extend far beyond representation. The continent has played a leading role in key milestones, such as the 1973 declaration of apartheid as a crime against humanity and the adoption of the international apartheid convention. African nations have consistently contributed personnel to UN peacekeeping missions, with four African countries ranking among the top 10 contributors. Moreover, African peace operations have upheld UN principles, challenging unconstitutional changes in government and promoting poverty reduction and arms control as strategies for conflict prevention.
The legitimacy of the UN depends on reform, especially as the world faces new and evolving security threats like climate change, pandemics, and artificial intelligence. The Security Council’s credibility has already been damaged by its failure to resolve major conflicts in recent years. If the institution is perceived as exclusive or unfair, global cooperation will erode.
By 2045, when the UN celebrates its 100th anniversary, Africa’s population will have reached 2.3 billion, accounting for 25% of the global total. Young Africans will drive the world’s workforce and consumer markets. To remain relevant, the Security Council must reflect these demographic shifts and the evolving nature of global threats. Only by including Africa in its permanent membership can the UN truly represent the interests and perspectives of all humanity.
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