Brief
African leaders demand permanent seats on UN Security Council
African heads of state at the UN General Assembly on 24 September urged the Security Council to add permanent seats for the continent, arguing that current representation undermines global peace efforts.
By Felo News Desk · Published
At the United Nations General Assembly in New York on 24 September, African heads of state pressed for reform of the Security Council, demanding permanent seats for the continent. Kenyan President William Ruto and Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie spoke to delegates, arguing that the lack of permanent African representation undermines the Council’s credibility and the principle of equality among nations.
Ruto said, “Every nation is sovereign and equal under the U.N. charter. Yet, on the gravest question of war and peace, five nations possess a permanent power that the other 188 do not. The equality proclaimed in this assembly ends at the doors of the security council.” Selassie questioned, “How can a world led with a right conscience justify the denial of 1.6 billion Africans, the right to equal representation?”
The call comes amid heightened global security concerns, including the Russia‑Ukraine war, the Israel‑Hamas conflict and the U.S. war with Iran. African leaders highlighted that these issues directly affect their populations and governments, yet the continent has no permanent seat on the 15‑member council. The current structure gives veto power to the United States, Russia, France, the United Kingdom and China, while other members are elected for two‑year terms. Africa currently holds three of those non‑permanent seats.
In 2024, the United States announced support for adding two permanent African seats under former President Joe Biden. The proposal has not yet been adopted, and African leaders say the urgency has increased as the world confronts new security challenges.
While the African demand focuses on representation, the Assembly also debated the role of artificial intelligence in global security. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei briefed the Security Council on AI risks, with industry leaders urging a slowdown in AI development to ensure safety. The meeting, chaired by France, also featured Hugging Face CEO Clément Delangue and AI researcher Yoshua Bengio.
Key facts
- African heads of state demanded permanent seats on the UN Security Council (independent.co.uk)
- Kenyan President William Ruto and Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie spoke at the UN General Assembly (independent.co.uk)
- The Security Council has 15 members, five permanent with veto power (independent.co.uk)
- Africa currently holds three non‑permanent Security Council seats (independent.co.uk)
- The US announced support for two permanent African seats in 2024 (independent.co.uk)
- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei briefed the Security Council on AI risks
Background
The UN General Assembly has long debated Security Council reform, with African nations arguing that the current structure limits their influence on decisions affecting global security. Recent conflicts have heightened the urgency of the issue.
Timeline
- 2024-01-01 — United States announced support for two permanent African seats on the Security Council
- 2026-09-19 — OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to brief the UN Security Council on AI risks
- 2026-09-23 — OpenAI and Anthropic CEOs brief the UN Security Council on AI risks
Why it matters
The lack of permanent African representation may limit the continent’s influence on decisions that affect its peoples during global conflicts.
What happens next
African leaders continue to lobby the UN General Assembly and Security Council for reform, while the Council considers the AI briefing outcomes.
Sources
- [1] independent.co.uk — originally reported as “A (permanent) seat at the table of power: African leaders press UN for Security Council reform”
