The UK Foreign Secretary advocates for the expansion of the UN Security Council as part of a "reinvigorated multilateral system". He believes that demographic change puts Africa at the forefront.

On Thursday, June 29, the UK announced its support for a permanent seat for Africa on the UN Security Council, to ensure that this important body of international governance reflects the current and future state of the world.

" We want to see permanent African representation and membership extended to India, Brazil, Germany and Japan," said British Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly (photo).

He added that demographic changes are putting Africa at the forefront, making it more important than ever to give the countries of this region a voice on the issues that concern them, such as debt reduction, the fight against poverty, and climate change.

Mr. Cleverly supported a major expansion of the UN Security Council as part of a "reinvigorated multilateral system," to adapt to the needs of the 21^st century

He explained that multilateral agreements such as the 1945 UN Charter have served the world well since then, on issues ranging from nuclear non-proliferation to climate change. However, he said, there is no guarantee of their survival for the same period in the future. In addition, he indicated that the overhaul of international governance must also be extended to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to reflect the digital economy, and to international financial institutions to deal with climate financing and debt reduction.

The UN Security Council is composed of 15 members, including 5 permanent members (China, USA, Russia, France, and the UK) and 10 members elected by the General Assembly for a two-year term.

With its 54 member countries and 1.3 billion inhabitants, Africa accounts for 25% of UN membership. However, the continent has only two or three non-permanent seats on the Security Council.

Yet African issues are the most debated points on the agenda of this body in charge of preserving peace and security. As Niger's former president Mahamadou Issoufou summed up at the end of 2020, "50% of the issues on the Security Council's agenda, and 70% of those under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, concern Africa."