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President John Dramani Mahama has called for Africa to be allocated five permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council as part of efforts to improve the continent’s representation in global decision-making.
According to President Mahama, the five seats would correspond to Africa’s five regions, ensuring that each part of the continent has representation on the Council.
He made the proposal in an exclusive interview with TRT World, where he advocated reforms to the United Nations and urged African countries to speak with one voice in pushing for an expanded Security Council.
“I think it would have been best if we got five seats, because Africa has five regions. And so each region would have representation,” he said.
President Mahama argued that Africa should first build consensus around expanding the membership of the Security Council before addressing the more contentious issue of veto powers held by the existing permanent members.
He said pursuing changes to the veto system alongside demands for an expanded Council could make it more difficult to secure the support of the current permanent members.
“We need a two-step solution. And so we should speak with one voice and ask for an expansion of the Security Council. Once we expand the Security Council and we have better representation of the Security Council, then we can discuss the veto,” he said.
The President expressed confidence that African countries could reach an agreement on which nations should represent the continent if the proposal for five permanent seats is adopted.
His call forms part of broader demands for reform of the UN Security Council to reflect current global realities and give Africa a stronger voice in decisions on international peace and security.