[ad_1]
African leaders used the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) as a platform to demand structural reform, global justice, and recognition of Africa’s geopolitical relevance.
Central to their message: the urgent need for permanent representation on the UN Security Council and a rebalanced global order that is ‘outdated and unjust’. President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa cited the Security Council’s five permanent members as obstacles to equitable decision-making, saying that “they continue to use their veto powers to effectively paralyze collective action and prevent timely responses to crises, even in the face of clear violations of international law.” Echoing that, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu — represented by Vice President Kassim Shettima — declared that “the United Nations will recover its relevance only when it reflects the world as it is, not as it was.” Tinubu also called for a permanent seat for Nigeria, reform of the global financial system, and a binding sovereign debt resolution mechanism.
African leaders also pushed for formal UN recognition of a Palestinian state. Ramaphosa and Tinubu both reaffirmed support for a two-state solution, equating the Palestinian struggle with Africa’s own anti-colonial legacy. Yet, as global focus drifts toward crises in Gaza and Ukraine, African conflicts — like those in the Sahel and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) — are overlooked. Leaders urged predictable funding for African peacekeeping missions and warned that ignoring Africa risks undermining global peace. As Sierra Leone’s Julius Maada Bio concluded, “The world does not need a louder UN. It requires a braver UN.”
[ad_2]
Source link