BY EYUEL KIFLU
The African Union (AU) has been pushing for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for several years now. This is because a permanent seat would give the biggest continent a platform to ensure that its interests are reflected in global decision-making processes.
The highest security body was formed after World War II to maintain international peace and security, with five permanent members the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, and Russia – holding veto powers. However, the lack of African representation in the Security Council has been heavily criticized, with many arguing that the continent’s voice needs to be heard.
The AU’s demand for a permanent seat in the UNSC is based on several reasons, according to the issues raised at different times by advocates. Some of the reasons are that Africa is the second-largest and second-most-populous continent in the world, and its interests cannot be adequately represented by just the five non-permanent member states that rotate membership on the council. Moreover, the continent has been grappling with a host of security threats in recent years, ranging from terrorism, civil strife, armed conflicts, and refugee crises to other emerging challenges.
Similarly, Africa has not had adequate representation in the world’s highest security body for too long. The lack of a permanent seat for African states in the UNSC has often led to concerns about the legitimacy of the council’s decisions as far as Africa is concerned.
The five members of the UNSC with permanent seats sometimes place their own interests above those of the broader global community, creating a skewed decision-making process. Having a permanent seat in the UNSC would give the AU a chance to push for a more inclusive and transparent decision-making process that considers the interests of all member states, especially African ones.
It’s clear that having a permanent seat in the UNSC would give the AU a chance to consolidate its position as a champion of global peace and security. The AU has already demonstrated its capabilities as a mediator in several conflicts in Africa, including Ethiopia. With a permanent seat on the UNSC, the AU would have a stronger voice in advocating for long-term conflict resolution in Africa and other parts of the world.
The AU’s demand for a permanent seat in the UNSC is both valid and urgent. The continent and its people deserve to have a voice in global decision-making that genuinely reflects their interests. A permanent seat would enable the AU to advocate for a more balanced and inclusive decision-making process, cementing its status as a global champion for peace, security, and development. Hence, the international community must acknowledge and act on the importance of granting the African Union a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.
To achieve this, many African heads of state are advocating for the issues at any stage. As a country, Ethiopia plays a significant role in advocating for the AU’s position regarding the permanent seat of the AU in the United Nations (UN) Security Council. Ethiopia believes that getting a permanent seat in the UNSC for Africa will enhance the representation of African countries in the Security Council, which is crucial in decision-making processes on a global scale.
Ethiopia has been instrumental in promoting the African common position for the reform of the UN Security Council, which resonates with the AU’s aspirations. The country has reiterated the importance of Africa’s voice being heard and represented in global affairs. Commenting on the issue, Dire Dawa University, Political Science and International Relations Researcher and Lecturer, Surafel Getahun told the Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA) that the AU needs to make policy reforms to secure a permanent seat in the UNSC.
Africa must fend off intervention from the West and increase technical support to its member nations in order to build a continent free of gunshot noise. He argued that the AU should make every effort to create a wealthy continent by establishing uniform foreign, economic, agricultural, scientific, and technological policies.
The continent has manifested itself through coups and battles during the course of the continental body’s 60-year history. It is required that the AU develops a uniform foreign policy, apply sanctions on nations where coups are occurring, and correct ban constraints on nations that collaborate with coup components. To have a permanent seat in the UNSC in accordance with its population, it must also play a crucial role in distancing Africa from Western policies and implementing policy reforms.
It is time to improve African issues, build trust between nations so that continental initiatives may advance, and young, qualified Pan-Africanists can join the AU. He noted that Ethiopia had a significant impact on the resurrection of pan-Africanism and the liberation of many African nations.
The South Sudan Peace Ambassador for East and Horn of Africa, Ambassador Tony Jaja, told The Ethiopian Herald that the issue of getting a permanent seat at the UNSC has been a long-standing concern for Africans. Because the five permanent members who are controlling the whole world are the Russians, China, the French, the United States of America, and the UK.
Now it’s been 76 years since the founding of the UN, and Africa has been calling on the council to grant the continent a permanent seat. “And this is really a big challenge, and we have been discussing these things for many years, and we have been advocating as an African movement worldwide that the continent should have a permanent seat.”
In 2005, the AU lodged the request for a permanent seat, and we have been hearing about all the time yet the quest went unheeded. We really need to have Africans represented as permanent members of the Security Council, he added.
We should scale up our efforts and continue advocating for our own interests rather than depending on the permanent members to do so. For this reason, we absolutely need that one. We need the might of Africa to be represented on the UNSC at this point, and that is what is really required. Furthermore, it should be noted that we will never be a very powerful continent if we do not hold a permanent seat on the Security Council, says Amb. Tony.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 8 JUNE 2023
