Africa and the Membership of the United Nations Security Council: Beyond the Ezulwini Consensus, by Usman Sarki

“History volition justice those who stood by and said nothing, erstwhile they could person done something“–  The Honourable Jeremy Corbin, MP

Eighty years ago, successful the aftermath of the Second World War, the United Nations was created arsenic humanity’s large experimentation successful corporate information and shared destiny. Its Charter promised to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war” and to uphold peace, justice, and equality among nations. In 2025, arsenic the UN marks its 80th anniversary, the question is inescapable: tin the United Nations inactive embody the ideals for which it was founded, oregon has it go an outdated relic of a bygone era?

Nowhere is this question much urgent than successful the creation of the Security Council, the UN’s astir almighty organ. Here, Africa, a continent of 54 sovereign states and astir 1.5 cardinal people, remains excluded from imperishable membership. The Council’s imperishable 5 — the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, and France — bespeak the equilibrium of powerfulness successful 1945, not the equilibrium of interests successful the 21st century.

This exclusion is not conscionable symbolic; it undermines the credibility of the planetary system. Africa, which accounts for astir one-fifth of humanity and forms the largest determination bloc successful the UN General Assembly, is the taxable of much Council deliberations, sanctions, and peacekeeping operations than immoderate different region. From Somalia and Sudan to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mali, Africa’s destiny has repeatedly been shaped successful New York. Yet Africa itself has nary imperishable dependable astatine the array wherever specified decisions are made. That is simply a structural injustice which continues to erode spot successful multilateralism.

The token practice of 3 rotating non-permanent seats does not change the cognition and the world of marginalisation. It reduces Africa to a second-class subordinate successful planetary governance, adjacent arsenic its radical inhabit the centre signifier successful the Council’s regular deliberations.

In 2005, the African Union adopted the Ezulwini Consensus, a landmark model demanding astatine slightest 2 imperishable seats for Africa with afloat veto rights, and 5 further non-permanent seats. It was Africa’s declaration that it would nary longer judge being a bystander successful satellite affairs. Ezulwini remains a almighty rallying cry, but 20 years aboriginal it has not delivered results. The planetary scenery has shifted since then. Multipolarity is rising, the G20 has admitted the African Union arsenic a member, BRICS has expanded its influence, and crises from Ukraine to Gaza, Sudan, and the Sahel person exposed the paralysis of a Council frozen by great-power rivalry.

For Africa to simply repetition Ezulwini without refining it risks causing stagnation of the initiative. To determination beyond Ezulwini does not mean abandoning it, but operationalising its principles into pragmatic strategies that tin triumph enactment and nutrient existent change.

First, Africa indispensable determination from wide demands to circumstantial proposals. A transparent mechanics for designating its imperishable representatives is agelong overdue. Should the prime beryllium regional, to guarantee inclusion of North, West, East, Central, and Southern Africa? Should it beryllium rotational, truthful that nary peculiar authorities monopolises the role? Or should criteria specified arsenic colonisation size, peacekeeping contributions, fiscal enactment for the UN, and diplomatic capableness find eligibility?

Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt are often cited arsenic earthy candidates fixed their size and influence. Yet smaller states fearfulness domination by determination hegemons. A fair, AU-sanctioned process tin resoluteness this hostility and springiness legitimacy to Africa’s chosen representatives. Drawing inspiration from the African Union Peace and Security Council and utilizing tools specified arsenic the African Peer Review Mechanism, candidates could beryllium assessed connected governance, leadership, contributions to bid and security, and committedness to inclusive development. Such criteria would show Africa’s seriousness astir work arsenic good arsenic representation.

Second, Africa indispensable beryllium pragmatic astir the usage of the veto power. Ezulwini insists connected adjacent veto rights for caller imperishable members, and rightly truthful since second-class rank would not beryllium acceptable. Yet, the veto itself has go a discredited instrument. The Council’s paralysis implicit Syria, Ukraine, and Palestine is impervious of however destructive this privilege tin be. Even France, a Council imperishable member,...