Ramaphosa calls for Africa’s inclusion in UN Security Council

President Cyril Ramaphosa has once more raised Africa’s concern about its exclusion from the United Nations Security Council (SC).

One expert, however, said Africa was being used by China and Russia to call for reforms in their power contest with the West… but suggested that the continent should rather use Beijing and Moscow to gain membership.

In an address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, Ramaphosa said 78 years since its formation, the SC structure remained unchanged and Africa – and its 1.4 billion people – remained excluded from its key decision-making structures.

Africa excluded from UN Security Council

“The Security Council has not fulfilled its mandate to maintain international peace and security. The UN Security Council must be reformed as a matter of urgency – it must become more inclusive so that the voices of all nations are heard and considered.

“Africa stands ready to play its part in building a safer global order,” he said.

ALSO READ: UN Security Council ‘no longer fit’ – Ramaphosa calls for reform [VIDEO]

The Security Council comprises the United States, Britain, Russia, China and France, or the Permanent 5 (P5), which have the veto power on decision-making, except on procedural decisions.

There are 10 nonpermanent members.

This means if any of the P5 members vetoes a decision, it won’t be carried. The P5 members favour the arrangement because it safeguards against the dominance by either side.

SC all about power dominance between north and south

International relations expert at the North-West University’s Potchefstroom campus, Dr Jan Venter said the reason Africa was omitted from SC was all about power dominance between the global north and the global south and control of the international systems by the West.

Venter said having Africa and South America was seen by members as weakening the power the global north had on the international systems – political, security and monetary systems.

ALSO READ: 170 arrested in child abuse crackdown in Malaysian children’s homes

“They say that having these countries will weaken the power they have and what that power brings and the result might be not only a loss in power, but also a loss in money and control over the international system,” Venter said.

These members refused to open the council because that would change the dynamics of the international system, which is about their security interests.

“You need security so that you can safeguard your economic and other interests. So, these members do not have trust in countries from Africa and South America that will have more developmental role.

‘Focus on totally different things’

“An inclusion of the global south would mean a redesign of the international world order, replacing it with a new inclusive order that would ‘focus on totally different things’.”

While the voices for change were growing rapidly, they “still lacked military and economic power and compelling reasons why the current membership should redefine their interests”.

ALSO READ: UN rights chief warns of ‘dystopian future’ if world doesn’t change course

Dominic Maphaka, a lecturer from NWU Mafikeng Campus, said Africa’s marginalisation from the United Nations could be attributed to coloniality.

“The post-1945 world is characterised by little reforms as opposed to outright transformation. The removal of colonial administrations did not coincide with the demise of asymmetrical power relations,” Maphaka said.

Also, the African continent’s attempt to exploit the shifting global power patterns was failing because of the contradictory posture taken by Russia and China.

Contradictory posture taken by Russia and China

China objected to the inclusion of Japan and India.

China and Russia’s call for the reform of the UN was largely perpetuating coloniality.

ALSO READ: UN says more than 700,000 affected by South Sudan floods

“They only stress the reform of the Bretton Woods Institutions, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Arguably,

Africa is used by the two countries to boost their clout in the Euro-American un-decolonised world and as a stepping stone of China and Russia’s foreign policies through advancing alternative norms and policies to those of the West,” Maphaka said.