The UN Security Council, formed in era of colonialism, is in dire need of “urgent reforms to credibly and effectively perform its mandate,” President Cyril Ramaphosa has said.
Ramaphosa said this when delivered his statement at the High-Level Dialogue on Global Development on the sidelines of the two-day virtual 2022 Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) Leaders’ Summit that China hosted until Friday.
According to the president, it was unjust that Africa, with a population of 1.3 billion people, did not have permanent representation on the New York-based Security Council to this day.
“We need a United Nations that is fit-for-purpose and clear in its benefits to all humanity, especially in times of insecurity and crises,” Ramaphosa said.
He said BRICS countries should continue to pursue “a common vision of an emerging international order to a common programme of change” and commit to shaping the group’s institutions.
“Our vision has been to harness our common vision and resources to improve the lives of our people through mutually beneficial cooperation and to actively shape the world to benefit the Global South,” he said.
The president called on BRICS to approach its cooperation with a spirit of openness and solidarity, with the genuine intention to find mutual interests and build common values.
“We have the potential to leverage our combined economic strength to drive a sustainable global economic recovery,” he said.
NM/jn/APA