Guterres Calls for Two Permanent African Seats, Says UN Security Council Faces Crisis of Legitimacy
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday that the United Nations Security Council is struggling with a “problem of legitimacy” because its composition no longer reflects the geopolitical realities of the modern world.
“It is clear the Security Council has a problem of legitimacy and a problem of effectiveness. Legitimacy, because its composition no longer corresponds to the reality of today’s world,” Guterres told reporters in Malaysia on the sidelines of the Southeast Asian nations’ summit.
He pointed out that the Council has three European permanent members—France, the United Kingdom, and Russia—but only one from Asia, and none from Latin America or Africa. “This shows that the Security Council doesn’t correspond at all to the world of today,” he said, emphasizing the importance of adding “two permanent African members” and expanding Asian representation.
Addressing the Council’s effectiveness, Guterres noted that the veto power remains a major obstacle. “Two of the countries, the UK and France, have presented a proposal to limit the veto power in certain circumstances,” he said, urging member states to “seriously consider” these reform suggestions.
