President John Dramani Mahama has renewed calls for an Africa permanent UN Security Council seat, arguing that the continent’s exclusion from the Council’s permanent membership reflects inequalities in the international system.
Addressing the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday, September 24, the President said reforming global governance must include correcting historical imbalances in how international decisions are made. Ghana had scheduled its national statement for Thursday’s General Debate.
‘Africa Cannot Remain Excluded’
President Mahama questioned why a continent of approximately 1.5 billion people still has no permanent place on the body responsible for international peace and security.
“The injustices of the past remain embedded in today’s power structures,” he told world leaders.
He noted that Africa accounts for more than 18% of the global population and constitutes the largest regional voting bloc in the General Assembly.
Despite that demographic and diplomatic weight, he said, the continent remains excluded from permanent Security Council membership.
“This is fundamentally unacceptable in the 21st century,” Mahama stated. “Africa must be granted permanent representation on the UN Security Council, complete with all the rights and responsibilities.”
African Union Seeks Two Permanent Seats
The Security Council has 15 members. China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States hold permanent seats with veto powers. The remaining 10 seats are filled through elections for two-year terms.
The African Union’s longstanding position, set out in the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration, calls for at least two permanent African seats with the same privileges as existing permanent members, including veto power while that mechanism remains in place.
Mahama’s latest intervention continues his earlier advocacy for Security Council reform. During his 2025 General Assembly address, he similarly questioned the absence of permanent African representation from a body whose decisions affect the continent.
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