By Baba Umar
United Nations, New York
African leaders and diplomats have shown a collective unity once again at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) over their old demand of permanent seats at the powerful UN Security Council, with several diplomats and ministers telling TRT World that their countries want the memberships "with veto power".
"The message is getting louder and louder and louder. I think at every forum that message is being delivered," Charles Milupi, the Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development of Zambia, told TRT World on Thursday the sidelines of UNGA in New York. "Africa needs a better representation in the United Nations."
Milupi urged that the current permanent UNSC members — France, China, Russia, US, and UK — "to take heed of what is being said and therefore reform the United Nations Security Council."
He said African countries need "a permanent seat with veto power", saying some 193 countries are part of the United Nations "but when it comes to decisions, I think those with a bit of more power have a greater say."
Leaders of Africa say the continent of 54 countries has now a population in excess of one billion, with immense challenges and opportunities. They are buoyed by the US announcing on September 13 that it will the support the creation of two new permanent seats for African countries, and a non-permanent seat for small island developing nations.
But Washington said it won't back Africa's demands of sharing the veto power.
"If the veto is to be there, we must get the veto. If the veto is not there, fine. But as long as the veto is there, we need to get it as well," Penda Naanda, Namibia’s UN envoy, told TRT World.
"Africa itself decided that we need to be on the UNSC table and we need two seats on that table. And so, the US simply is supporting our position in achieving UN reformation."
He said how Africa will select the two countries for UNSC seat "is going to be left to Africa."
'An extra seat is an extra voice'
Calls have been growing to increase Africa’s representation at the UNSC, with UN adopting a Pact for the Future last week, which besides other actions, calls for UNSC reform "including by redressing the historical under-representation of Africa as a priority."
"I think it has become clear that when your voice is stronger, you are more likely to be listened to, you are more likely to get attention and any effort to get us an additional seat is worth the effort," Ghana’s Health Minister Bernard Okoe Boye told TRT World on UNGA sidelines.
Boye shed light on the significance of the UNSC veto power, saying, "We all know that certain countries have veto powers and one veto power is worth 50 seats because when there is a veto, it virtually can cover or undo all other voices on the table when it comes to decision making or when it comes to implementation of a decision."
He said African countries are not contesting that veto powers should be taken away from certain nations and handed to Africa.
"All I can say is that an extra seat is an extra voice and is worth it," he said.
Somalia's Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi told TRT World that if and when African countries get the two permanent UNSC seats, it should come with veto powers.
"With veto powers," Fiqi, adding, "We have to be like others."
Earlier inside the UNGA, Malawi's President Lazarus Mccarthy Chakwera delivered a strong push for the UNSC seats for Africa with veto power, saying, "UNSC must embrace democracy by giving two permanent seats with veto power to Africa."
"We need this fix to strengthen our voice on the issues that matter to us in Africa," he said, adding he is optimistic as US and Chinese leadership is supporting Africa’s demand.
Kenya's President William Samoei Ruto said it is "unacceptable" to see UNSC excluding Africa.
"An institution that excludes 54 African countries, representing 1.4 billion people, while allowing one nation to veto decisions of the remaining 193 member states, is unacceptable," he said.
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