Namibia has called for Africa to be granted permanent representation on the United Nations Security Council, describing the continent’s continued exclusion as a historical injustice.
Speaking in New York on Sunday at the 7th summit of the African Union Committee of Ten (C-10), Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said the UN must evolve to reflect contemporary geopolitical realities.
The summit marked the 20th anniversary of the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, which form the Common African Position on Security Council reform.
” The 80th anniversary of the United Nations is an ideal opportunity to reflect on the values and principles on which this organization is founded ,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
She stressed that Africa, home to more than 1.4 billion people and 54 member states, deserves a voice in all global decision-making bodies, particularly those charged with maintaining international peace and security.
The Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, adopted in 2005, call for at least two permanent seats with veto power and five non-permanent seats for Africa. The AU’s C-10, a group of ten heads of state tasked with championing this position, has led ongoing diplomatic efforts to advance the reform agenda.
” Over the past two decades, the Common African Position has gained popularity, enjoying broad support from many interest groups ,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said. ” This reminds us that our quest to redress historical injustice and promote equity for a more inclusive and representative Security Council is just and shared .”
The call for reform comes amid increasing criticism that the UN’s current structure reflects post-World War II power dynamics rather than present-day global realities. Africa, along with South America, remains one of the only continents without permanent Security Council representation, despite the continent’s growing role in peacekeeping, diplomacy, and development.
The summit convened senior African leaders, diplomats, and UN officials who reiterated their support for the Common African Position and urged an acceleration of negotiations within the UN intergovernmental framework.
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