US backs two permanent seats for Africa on UN Security Council

Melissa Chemam with RFI

13 September 2024 at 4:59 am·2-min read

The US has thrown its weight behind creating two permanent seats for African states on the United Nations Security Council, and one rotating seat for small island developing states. Years of talks about reforming the council have led nowhere, and many doubt whether US backing will be enough to spur real action.

The US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, announced on Thursday that Washington supports the move.

Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, she said the US wants to “move this agenda forward in a way that we can achieve Security Council reform at some point in the future”.

However, she could not say how long it would take to secure a General Assembly vote on the resolution.

Despite years of discussions, little progress has been made on reforming the council, and it’s unclear if US support will be enough to trigger real action.

UN legitimacy at stake

The US plan is supported by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who said the Security Council “has a problem of legitimacy” and “a problem of effectiveness” that requires reform.

Guterres previously called for Africa to have a permanent seat in August, arguing that the move would correct “historical injustices”.

The world has changed since 1945, Guterres said, but “the composition of the council, despite a few changes, has not kept pace”.

Paul Simon Handy, a researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, told RFI the reform could change the council’s dynamics, but added that Africa needs to secure support from two-thirds of the General Assembly.

(with Reuters)

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UN legitimacy at stake

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