Africans leaders push for equitable representation in the UN Security Council

Sep 25, 2020(Nyamilepedia) — African leaders are calling on the United Nations to give Africa a representation in the United Nations Security Ccouncil.

African leaders posting for a picture during African Union Summit before COVID-19(Photo credit: African Union/Nyamilepedia)

African leaders posting for a picture during African Union Summit before COVID-19(Photo credit: African Union/Nyamilepedia)

Over the weeks leading to September 15, 2020, a number of African leaders unanymously addressed this concern in pre-recorded speeches that were played during the Seventy-Fifth Session of the UN General Assembly that opened on September 15 in New York.

The African leaders called for equal representation demanding that Africa’s voice in decision making on global matters matter.

In his pre-recorded speech, the Zimbabwen President Emmerson Mnangagwa, called for an end to the occupation of Western Sahara, and also for the inclusion of Africa in the UN Security Council.

“We cannot continue with a situation where over 16% of the world’s population does not have a voice in decision making. This is a serious indictment to our avowed commitment to multilateralism and the basic principles of natural justice, fairness and equity.” He said.

Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President of Malawi voiced his concern about continued underrepresentation for Africa in the Security Council, calling for two permanent seats and five non-permanent seats for countries in the region.

Similarly, Denis Sassou Nguesso, President of Congo, warned the Assembly that this historic injustice remains to be redressed.

Sassou reaffirmed the urgency of making African representation in the Council a reality, saying that such decision would strengthen the values of solidarity and equity.

Sao Tome and Principe president Evaristo Do Espirito Santo Carvalho also called for greater involvement by the international community against similar flare-ups in Mozambique, and noted the perennial issue of Western Sahara remains a cause of concern.

Other subjects that have been discussed at length are Covid 19 Pandemic, the African countries Economies, Conflict, poverty, hunger, inequality, and sexual- and gender-based violence and eradication of Malaria and Polio in the African region.