Sierra Leone's President and ruling party candidate Julius Maada Bio speaks to journalists after casting his vote for national elections at a polling station in Freetown, Sierra Leone, June 24, 2023.‘s President has made an impassioned plea for Security Council reform, telling the Council that Africa had articulated a compelling vision on the matter.
He made the case for Africa’s permanent membership of the body responsible for maintaining international peace and security. “Africa wants the veto abolished. However, if UN member states wish to retain the veto, it must extend it to all new permanent members as a matter of justice. The common African position is premised on the fact that by rectifying historical injustice the international community will not only promote greater fairness, equity and equality in global governance, but also act on the imperative to ensure the legitimacy and effectiveness of the Council.
This was a view echoed by Secretary General Antonio Guterres who remains on the sidelines of a member-state-driven intergovernmental process on UN reform. “Will the membership of the UN Security Council still look like it does today? Or will the diplomats seated here have had the courage to tackle head-on the power relations preventing meaningful reform? Bringing us back to the present day as we prepare for the UN summit of the future. Member States have a timely opportunity to advance the agenda of Security Council reform and repair the historical injustice of Africa’s exclusion,” says Dr Mbete.briefed the U.N.