AU calls for Africa’s permanent seat on UN Security Council
Mahmoud also urged reforms in international finance to make it easier and cheaper for African countries to access loans and funding.
The African Union (AU) has renewed its call for Africa to have a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council and greater representation in global financial institutions, arguing that the continent's voice remains limited in key international decisions.
Speaking at the 7th AU-European Union Summit in Luanda, Angola, on Monday, AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf warned that global rules are being tested amid rising conflicts, noting that Africa faces its own political, security, and development challenges, making it crucial for the continent to have a stronger role in global governance.
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"Africa continues to request its seat at this table. We request our seat on the UN Security Council based on the Ezulwini consensus, as well as equitable representation in international financial institutions," Mahmoud said.
The Ezulwini consensus is an AU agreement that calls for at least two permanent seats for Africa on the Security Council.
Mahmoud also urged reforms in international finance to make it easier and cheaper for African countries to access loans and funding.
"I'm pleading for European investments in the transformation process of our minerals on the continent. I'm calling for the lifting of any tariff or non-tariff barrier hampering the access of African products to the European market," he said.
"I'm finally calling for a stronger and more viable multilateralism based on equality, respect for all nations, and advancing the common vital global interest."
On his part, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres supported calls for more equitable global governance but cautioned that simply having multiple centres of power does not guarantee peace.
He cited ongoing crises in Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Mali, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Russia-Ukraine war as examples of how conflict continues to disrupt communities and economies worldwide.
Similarly, Guterres highlighted the 2024 Pact for the Future, which proposes permanent African representation on the Security Council, and called for predictable funding for AU-led peace operations.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for closer economic collaboration between Africa and Europe to create jobs, empower youth, and diversify economies. She highlighted projects like the Lobito corridor and support for African farmers and businesses to meet European standards.
"Other investors might follow a different playbook by building factories, whether in Africa or in Europe, but staff them with foreign workers. They drill, they mine, and they take the profits away. They often leave a legacy of unsustainable debts. This is not Europe's model," von der Leyen said.
She further urged both continents to work together to strengthen trade partnerships, support sustainable development and ensure fairer economic outcomes.
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