By Amb. Henry Mayega
President Yoweri Museveni has once again and rightly added his voice to the burgeoning chorus from Africa to have permanent representation on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), which is the principal organ of the UN – a microcosm of a world government; currently, the continent’s 54 independent countries represent 28% or a third of the UN’s total membership. Africa’s inglorious and perpetual marginalization at the UNSC is an inequity that was occasioned on the continent after WW2 when the big five unilaterally ring-fenced their current status for themselves.
With vast powers including investigating disputes, recommending solutions, authorizing actions like sanctions or the use of military force amongst others, the UNSC’s permanent members namely China, France, Russia, the UK and the USA have, additionally, veto powers unlike the ten rotational/non-permanent members.
Ironically and impudently, Africa, with the largest number of continental countries, has, as designed by the framers of the UN charter on April 25, 1945 in San Francisco which came into force on October 24, 1945, zero permanent representation on the UNSC.
The current structure of the UNSC as stipulated in the charter reflects historical and exceedingly ignoble power imbalances since WW2 when the colonizer was still lurking around the largely non-independent Africa whilst devouring whatever resources he could lay his iron-fisted hands on to assuage his insatiable appetite.
As a debilitating consequence, the continent has since been made to play hooky regarding the following: Ideally the vetoing power of any UNSC resolution is exclusively the preserve of the big five which tool has been used to the detriment of Africa. Essentially, one vetoing power can scuttle a resolution arrived at by the entire world body – the UN. There have been persistent tittle-tattles that Africa is losing out on key decisions that affect the continent due to the dearth of a permanent continental voice on the UNSC canvass.
Secondly, the elements of equal representation as well as decision making are episodically off-tracked at the altar of clubby scheming at that splendid and apex world body whose chores are amongst others the promotion of equity, justice and truth; what the hell, after all, would compel our vulnerable countries chase after the “wild goose” well knowing that it’s an exercise in futility.
Thirdly, the continent resultantly loses significant influence and power given its lack of permanent representation; that, in absolute terms, limits Africa’s ability to shape UNSC decisions which in a majority of cases directly affect us particularly where peace, security and prosperity are concerned. The immediacy of a robust permanent African voice would bring with it the completeness of the UNSC’s legitimacy most especially amongst Africans who currently grasp it as not only a grouping that is far removed from their plight – essentially reducing us to a hermit continent, but also as a tool weaponized against them.
Fourthly, the continent, as a consequence of lacking the vetoing power tool, is profoundly limited in terms of influencing agenda items brought before the council due to procedural constraints of sponsorship. That leads to overlooking and ignoring the urgency of issues considered as vitally relevant to Africa’s progress and global influence. It also means that the powerful will invariably push down our throats agenda items whose import may not be in the continent’s interests.
Fifthly, the UNSC’s dependability is further enfeebled when a continent as big and as populous as Africa – with 1,551,922,497 people, lacks permanent representation; for instance, Europe with a population of 745 million has two representatives on the UNSC namely the UK and France; that general lack of inclusivity de-calibrates the council ostensibly seen as a tool for resolving kaleidoscopic issues which keep dogging Africa in particular and the world in general.
Lastly but not least, Africa’s under-representation has in a sense retrogressed peace, security and development efforts across the continent since we can’t effortlessly push through our regional-leaning agendas.
The Writer is an Ambassador
