President John Dramani Mahama has called for major reforms to the United Nations Security Council, arguing that the power to veto decisions should not be held only by five countries.
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, September 25, the Ghanaian leader said the current structure, created after World War II, is outdated and gives too much power to a few nations at the expense of the rest of the world.
“Veto power should not be restricted to five nations, nor should it be absolute,” President Mahama said. “There must be a mechanism for the General Assembly to challenge a veto. No single nation should be able to exercise an absolute veto to serve its own interests in a conflict.”
He noted that if equality were truly respected within the UN, Africa, with 54 member states, would have at least one permanent seat on the Security Council.
“The most powerful post-World War II nations are still being rewarded with an almost totalitarian guardianship over the rest of the world. And yet, the first sentence in Chapter 2, Article 1 of the UN Charter declares that ‘The Organization is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its members,’” he stated.
Quoting former South African President Nelson Mandela, who in 1995 called on the UN to “reassess its role, redefine its profile, and reshape its structures,” Mahama said little has changed since then.
“Today, we African leaders are still making the same request: for a permanent seat on the Security Council, with the power of veto. So, I ask again: if not now, then when?” he said.
President Mahama also urged a review of the global financial system, describing it as biased against Africa. He called for stronger African representation and a bigger role in decision-making within international financial institutions.
