UN Secretary-General António Guterres and AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf have intensified calls for a fundamental overhaul of global governance, declaring that granting Africa permanent representation on the UN Security Council is an “urgent and historic priority.”
Meeting on the margins of the 39th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly, the two leaders emphasized that the current multilateral system lacks legitimacy without a permanent African voice. They reiterated that such representation—aligned with the Common African Position—is essential to ensuring global equity and justice.
Secretary-General Guterres underscored that the exclusion of Africa from permanent membership is a structural flaw that must be corrected. He acknowledged the African Union’s surging influence in global diplomacy, specifically citing its pivotal role in shaping the Pact for the Future.
RELATED POSTS
Beyond institutional reform, the leaders addressed the “disproportionate concentration” of global capital, which Guterres noted often flows into emerging economies at the expense of developing African nations.
