MAHAMA, RUTO CALL FOR UN SEAT: What a Permanent UN Security Council Voice Would Finally Deliver

BY: Mensah Maxwell - mensahm1815@gmail.com 

A seismic shift is brewing in the halls of the United Nations. For decades, the UN Security Council—the world's most powerful peace and security body—has been frozen in a 1945 time warp, its permanent membership reflecting the victors of World War II.

Now, African nations are demanding that the era of exclusion is over. With a unified voice, they are asserting that the continent will no longer be permanently on the menu of Security Council agendas without having a permanent seat at the table.

The call, articulated through the African Union's Ezulwini Consensus, is clear: Africa demands two permanent seats with all the privileges of current members, including the right to veto, plus two additional non-permanent seats. As Kenyan President William Ruto declared at the 2025 UN General Assembly, this reform is "not a favour to Africa," but "a necessity for the United Nations’ own survival".

Not alone, Ghana’s President, John Dramani Mahama in his address today at the Assembly reiterate that ‘at least not less than one’ African permanent at the UN Security Council should be denield.

A Table Set Without Africa

The core of Africa's argument lies in a stark statistical reality. The continent is home to 54 of the UN’s 193 member states and 1.3 billion people, representing over 17% of the global population. Despite this, it is the only region without a permanent voice on the Security Council. This exclusion is particularly glaring given that nearly half of the Council’s agenda is devoted to African issues.

The current structure is not just an oversight; it is a relic of a colonial past. When the Council was formed in 1945, most of Africa was under colonial rule and had no say in its creation. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has himself called this underrepresentation unacceptable, noting that the Council’s legitimacy is undermined when the "world's pre-eminent peace and security body lacks a permanent voice for a continent of well over a billion people" .

The Transformative Gains: What Africa Stands to Win

Achieving permanent membership would be more than a symbolic victory; it would deliver tangible, transformative gains for the continent and for the cause of global justice.

1. Direct Influence on Decisions Shaping African Peace and Security

A permanent seat would move Africa from being an object of Security Council decisions to being a co-author. Rather than having resolutions on conflicts in the Sahel, the Great Lakes, or the Horn of Africa drafted and voted on by others, African representatives would have a direct and continuous voice in crafting solutions. This would ensure that interventions are better informed by on-the-ground realities and the needs of affected people . It would fundamentally shift the dynamic from external imposition to internal ownership.

2. Correcting a Historical Injustice and Claiming Strategic AgencyThe demand for a seat is deeply rooted in the need to repair centuries of exploitation, from the transatlantic slave trade to the colonial carving of the continent at the 1884 Berlin Conference . A permanent seat would be a powerful assertion of Africa’s agency and its right to co-shape the global order. As a policy brief notes, ending this "institutional discrimination" is crucial for the West's own strategic interests, as it would build trust and counter anti-Western narratives gaining traction in the Global South .

3. Enhancing the UN’s Legitimacy and Effectiveness

A Security Council that excludes a quarter of humanity from its highest table faces a deep credibility crisis . By making the Council more representative, its decisions would carry greater moral weight and global acceptance. As President Ruto argued, a reformed Council that reflects "today’s realities, not the postwar power arrangements of 1945" is essential for the UN to remain relevant in the 21st century . This is a strategic imperative for an institution struggling to address modern threats like climate change and pandemics .

4. A Powerful Platform for African Priorities

With a permanent voice, Africa could consistently champion its core priorities at the highest level. This includes:

Advocating for climate justice, given the continent’s disproportionate suffering from a crisis it did little to create.

Pushing for fair trade and economic policies to stem illicit financial flows that cost Africa over $200 billion annually .

Reforming peacekeeping, ensuring missions are adequately funded and equipped—a lesson starkly highlighted by the under-resourced Kenyan-led mission in Haiti .

The Roadblocks: A Path Paved with Challenges

Despite the compelling case, the path to reform is fraught with obstacles. Any change requires amending the UN Charter, which needs a two-thirds vote in the General Assembly and ratification by all five current veto-wielding powers . Some permanent members are reluctant to dilute their influence, and there are competing claims for seats from other regions like Latin America and Asia .

Furthermore, the question of which nations would hold the seats and how they would be chosen by the African Union remains a point of discussion, though the Ezulwini Consensus states the AU itself would make the selection .

The Irresistible Shift

The momentum, however, is undeniable. The United States has expressed support for two permanent African seats (though without veto power), and other permanent members like the UK and France have also backed the principle of reform .

By 2045, when the UN turns 100, Africa will be home to 2.3 billion people—a quarter of the world’s population . The continent will be a defining force in the global economy and workforce. The question is no longer if the UN must reform to include Africa, but when and how. As the continent’s leaders have made clear, patience has run out. The world can either grant Africa its rightful seat, or watch as the continent’s exclusion further erodes the very foundations of multilateralism. The gain is not Africa’s alone—it is the world’s best chance for a legitimate and effective global security system.