By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The United States is backing the creation of two permanent seats for Africa at the United Nations Security Council, and one seat to be rotated among small island developing states, the country’s Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced on Thursday.
The move for two permanent African seats and a rotating seat for small island developing states is in addition to Washington’s long-held support for India, Japan and Germany to also get permanent seats on the council.
It comes as the US seeks to repair ties with Africa, where the country has been criticised for supporting Israel’s war in Gaza.
Thomas-Greenfield told reporters that she hopes the announcement will “move this agenda forward in a way that we can achieve Security Council reform at some point in the future,” describing it as part of legacy of the US President Joe Biden.
Developing nations have long demanded permanent seats on the Security Council, the most powerful body in the United Nations.
Years of talks on reforms have not been back with action, even as it seems uncertain if the support by the US will spur an action.
Ahead of making the announcement at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on Thursday, Thomas-Greenfield said Washington does not support expanding veto power beyond the five countries that hold it.
The Security Council is charged with maintaining international peace and security and has the power to impose sanctions and arms embargos and authorize the use of force.
When the UN was founded in 1945, the Security Council had 11 members.
It however increased in 1965 to 15 members, made up of 10 elected states serving two-year terms and five nations with permanent veto powers, including Russia, China, France, the US and Britain.
Heritage Times HT recalls that the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is also backing the Security Council reform to create permanent seats for Africa.
