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.
“Africa should be more active diplomatically to get that, like India or Japan,” Handy said.
A long-standing demand
The Security Council is the most powerful body in the UN, with the authority to impose sanctions, enforce arms embargoes, and authorise the use of force.
It currently has 15 members: five permanent ones with veto power (Russia, China, the US, Britain and France) and 10 elected members serving two-year terms.
Africa already has three rotating seats, but Thomas-Greenfield said this isn’t enough.
“Non-permanent seats don’t enable African countries to deliver the full benefit of their knowledge and voices to the work of the council,” she said.
She also backed a rotating seat for small island states, who she said offer “critical insights on a range of international peace and security issues, including, notably, the impact of climate change”.
Developing nations have long called for permanent representation on the council. When the UN was founded in 1945, the council had just 11 members, growing to 15 in 1965.
At that time, much of Africa was still under European colonial rule.
The African Union has been pushing for two permanent seats and two additional non-permanent seats for the continent.
The debate in mid-August had been led by Sierra Leone's President, Julius Maada Bio, who made the case for the continent.
“The time for half-measures and incremental progress is over. Africa must be heard, and its demands for justice and equity must be met,” he said.
China has also been calling for more African representation in international bodies for months.
China’s new strategy in Africa: is the continent getting a fair deal?
American soft power
The US has long supported India, Japan and Germany for permanent council seats, and now it’s extending that support to African partners. Some see this as a diplomatic move to deepen ties with African and Pacific nations amid growing competition with China.
However, many in Africa remain frustrated by Washington’s foreign policy – particularly its support for Israel’s actions in Gaza. Pacific nations are also seen as increasingly important to US efforts to counter China’s influence in the region.
Researcher Handy told RFI that while the US proposal is a step forward, it falls short of African expectations.
“The veto is the key issue,” Handy said. “It looks like a legacy move for the Biden administration.”
Washington has made it clear that it does not support expanding veto power beyond the five permanent members.
Practical obstacles
Amending the UN Charter to add permanent seats would require approval from two-thirds of the General Assembly and ratification by the current permanent members. Given Russia’s frequent use of its veto, it’s uncertain whether Moscow would back a US-driven proposal.
The 193-member UN General Assembly has annually discussed reforms of the Security Council for more than a decade, with little to no success.
Even if momentum builds, deciding which African countries would get the two permanent seats could be a challenge.
“Who gets them?” Ugandan journalist Charles Onyango-Obbo asked on social media.
“The most populous, richest, those with the largest armies?”
Handy said the competition could be fierce, with Nigeria and South Africa as long-time contenders, but also Algeria and Egypt vying for a spot.
Nigeria and South Africa have been fighting for it for years, stirring up trouble among other African countries to get support.
The UN will celebrate its 80th anniversary in 2025, and President Bio has warned that this milestone will only be meaningful if the council is reformed by then.
(with Reuters)
