The reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) should start with granting Africa a permanent member seat. This was stated by UN Secretary-General António Guterres in an interview with TASS First Deputy Director-General Mikhail Gusman.
"There is not a single permanent member from Africa in the Security Council. This is certainly very difficult to change, but we must start with something that can achieve consensus. And today, based on what I hear from the five permanent members of the Security Council, I believe that consensus can be reached. The first step should be to provide at least one permanent member seat in the Security Council for Africa," said the Secretary-General.
He emphasized that the issue of UNSC reform had long been a taboo topic. "I would say that during my tenure, for the first time, there has been a recognition of the fact that this is a serious issue that needs to be discussed," - Guterres continued. - "It is not an easy, but a serious issue. The Security Council was formed after World War II. For example, Europe is a relatively small continent, yet 6 out of 15 Security Council members are European states. Among the five permanent members, three are European - the Russian Federation, most of which is in Asia but is essentially a European country, France, and the United Kingdom."
"Obviously, there should be more developing countries in the Security Council, which means expanding the Security Council," concluded the Secretary-General.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on TASS materials