President John Mahama has renewed Africa’s call for permanent representation on the United Nations Security Council, describing the current structure as outdated and unreflective of today’s global realities.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly on Thursday, September 25, he argued that the most powerful post-World War II nations continue to hold “almost totalitarian guardianship” over the rest of the world.
He said a continent as large as Africa, with numerous UN member states, deserved at least one permanent seat, while also stressing that veto power should not remain absolute to only five nations but be subject to challenge by the General Assembly.
Mahama recalled Nelson Mandela’s 1995 UN address, saying Africa’s demand for reform had gone unanswered for nearly three decades.
“If not now, then when?” he asked, urging swift action to rebalance global governance.
He also called for a reset of the international financial system, arguing that the current framework is skewed against Africa and that the continent must be given a greater voice in multilateral financial institutions.
