UN Chief: Africa Deserves Permanent Security Council Seat

Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres used his platform at the African Union’s 39th Summit to deliver a structured appeal for institutional reform, conflict de-escalation, and financial rebalancing, framing Africa as central to multilateral credibility rather than peripheral to it.

The Secretary-General characterized the African Union as a stabilizing force “in a world filled with division and mistrust,” underscoring that UN-AU cooperation had reached “new heights” over the past decade.

He cited joint frameworks spanning peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights, alongside collaboration during COVID-19.

A key institutional reference was Security Council Resolution 2719, described as creating a pathway for predictable funding of AU-led peace support operations - a long-standing African demand tied to operational sustainability.

Reparatory Justice

Guterres praised the AU’s role in advancing equity, portraying Africa as a driver of multilateral debates rather than a peripheral voice. “We have stood with Africa,” he said, as the continent leads “global demands for justice,” including efforts “confronting the legacy of slavery and colonialism” and calls for “reparatory justice frameworks.”

The remarks carry diplomatic and institutional weight. By aligning the UN with Africa’s advocacy on historical justice, Guterres echoed themes increasingly prominent across Global South platforms, where debates over reparations, structural inequality, and representation are intensifying.

The language also connects to Africa’s broader reform agenda, linking historical claims to contemporary disputes over Security Council composition and the fairness of the international financial system.

Peace & Security Priorities

Guterres outlined immediate conflict-management objectives across multiple theaters. In Sudan, he said parties “must commit to an immediate cessation of hostilities” and resume talks toward “a lasting ceasefire.”

In South Sudan, he pointed to the AU’s High Level Ad Hoc Committee as a mechanism to “revive political dialogue.”

On the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), he stressed commitments should begin with “an immediate ceasefire” and respect for territorial integrity.

He also referenced stabilization efforts in the Central African Republic, Libya’s UN-supported political track, coordinated responses across West Africa and the Sahel, and funding requirements for the AU Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia.

He expressed regret over the Security Council’s failure to reach consensus on financing through assessed contributions, asking: “If the Mission of the AU in Somalia did not warrant global support, what would?” The remark highlighted persistent friction between mandate ambition and resource commitments.

“This Is 2026” Reform Message

Institutional reform formed a central theme. Guterres described the absence of permanent African seats on the Security Council as “indefensible,” adding: “This is 2026 - not 1946.”

He argued that whenever decisions about Africa are taken, “Africa must be at the table.”

The formulation linked representational equity with system legitimacy, reflecting broader debates on post-World War II governance structures.

The UN Security Council’s structure has long drawn criticism over fairness and representation. Of its 15 members, only the U.S., Russia, China, UK and France are permanent that hold veto power, allowing any one of them to block substantive resolutions regardless of majority support. The remaining 10 members are elected for two-year terms without veto authority.

Critics argue this system reflects post-1945 power realities rather than today’s geopolitical balance, concentrating decision-making in a small group while regions such as Africa and Latin America lack permanent representation.

Economic & Debt Constraints

Turning to development finance, Guterres cited a $4 trillion annual Sustainable Development Goals financing gapfacing developing countries. He noted Africa loses more to debt servicing and illicit financial flows each year than it receives in aid, while African states pay borrowing costs “up to eight times higher than advanced economies.”

His policy prescriptions included tripling the lending capacity of multilateral development banks, mobilizing greater private finance, reducing borrowing risks and costs, and reforming the international financial architecture to ensure developing countries have “a real voice and a meaningful participation.”

Climate Justice & Investment Gaps

On climate, he warned the planet “will overshoot the 1.5 degree Celsius limit,” emphasizing that Africa - despite contributing minimally to global emissions - faces faster-than-average warming, droughts, floods, and deadly heat.

He called for developed countries to triple adaptation finance and mobilize $1.3 trillion annually by 2035, while scaling up the Loss and Damage Fund.

He highlighted Africa’s “60 percent of the world’s best solar potential,” contrasted with the continent receiving only two percent of global clean energy investment. The imbalance, he suggested, constrains Africa’s ability to become a clean energy powerhouse.

Guterres also stressed that African countries should benefit “first and fully” from their critical minerals through fair and sustainable value chains and domestic manufacturing.

“No more exploitation. No more plundering. The people of Africa must benefit from the resources of Africa” he said, tying resource governance to development sovereignty.

“Africa Always”

Dismissing talk of a valedictory visit, Guterres said, “Some have described my presence here as a farewell. It’s not true.” He vowed that Africa would remain “the priority number one of the UN” and called the UN-AU relationship “our deepest strategic partnership.” After “the 31st of December,” he added, “there will be Africa always. Africa Sempre!”

Taken together, Guterres’ remarks framed Africa’s demands - from conflict resolution and development finance to climate justice and Security Council reform - as central to the credibility and effectiveness of the multilateral system itself.