APA-Johannesburg (South Africa) UN secretary general António Guterres has reiterated that his world organisation needed to be reformed to accommodate the African continent, especially in the body’s Security Council where Africa has no permanent members.
Guterres was addressing the media on the last day of the 15th BRICS summit held in Johannesburg on Thursday.
He said the UN Security Council, formed after World War II, was set up in 1945 when most African countries were under European colonial rule.
And so were other world organisations like Bretton Woods system which are entrusted with running the world economy, he said, adding that their formation after World War II was not representative of the current African leadership.
Driving home his point further, Guterres added that reforms in powerful global institutions required “a special focus on Africa”.
Excluding African countries from holding permanent seats in the UN Security Council and under representation in world institutions is a recipe for serious world division which could lead to already existing tensions to boil over, he said.
“History has shown time and again that multi-polarity without strong multilateral institutions is no guarantee for stability – it might even become a catalyst for chaos,” Guterres said.
He added: “We must urgently restore trust and reinvigorate multilateralism. This requires the courage to compromise for the common good.”
The UN Security Council, considered one of the world body’s most powerful groups, is made up of 15 permanent and non-permanent members.
The five permanent members are the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia.
Africa’s 54 states are represented on the council by three non-permanent seats currently held by Gabon, Ghana and Mozambique.
NM/jn/APA