US Seeks For Two Permanent UN Security Council Seats For Africa

US Seeks For Two Permanent UN Security Council Seats For Africa

The United States has advocated for the addition of two permanent seats on the UN Security Council for African nations, as well as a rotating seat for island states, but has emphasized that these new members should not be granted veto power.

US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, presented this proposal during her speech at the Council on Foreign Relations on Thursday.

“I’m announcing that the United States supports three new changes to the Security Council,” she stated.

According to Thomas-Greenfield, the proposal includes “establishing two permanent seats for African countries.”

She also mentioned the US backing a new elected seat for small island developing states on the Security Council.

These proposed changes aim to reform the 15-member Security Council, which has remained largely static for decades and is plagued by dysfunction and disagreements among its current permanent members.

The new African representatives would not have veto power over Council decisions, unlike the existing permanent members—Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States.

Currently, African nations hold three non-permanent seats on the Security Council, which rotate every two years.

Reforming the Security Council, a process that has stalled due to disagreements among permanent members, would require unanimous approval from the five top-tier powers—all of whom are nuclear-armed.

Any changes to membership would need to be adopted and ratified by two-thirds of the 193 UN member states.

The US has made it clear that it opposes granting veto power to any new members, stating that it would lead to gridlock.

“We have been very clear that we do not support expanding the veto,” Thomas-Greenfield said.

“We, too, have veto power, and none of the permanent members, including us, are willing to relinquish it. I’m being honest about that.”

Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio has previously argued that if the veto is retained, it should be extended to all new permanent members to ensure fairness.

The UN welcomed Washington’s proposal as a positive development for African representation.

“This announcement is significant and welcome,” said a spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

“All details of how this will be implemented will need to be determined by member states,” Stephane Dujarric noted.

In September 2022, US President Joe Biden supported Security Council reform, endorsing permanent seats for Africa and Latin America without specifying further details.

Russia has cautioned that granting new seats to African nations alongside those for longstanding US allies like Japan and Germany might not adequately address historical injustices toward Africa.

“It will not be possible to rectify historical injustices for Africa while simultaneously allowing new Western members to join the UN Security Council,” Russian Deputy Ambassador to the UN Dmitry Polyansky previously stated.