UN chief warns of deepening ‘cracks’ in Security Council fueling ‘deadlock’ in global crises

NEW YORK: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Monday over “cracks” in the Security Council’s foundation contributing to ongoing crises and “a broader crisis of credibility and legitimacy” in multilateralism.

Emphasizing the urgent need to reform the Council with African representation, Guterres told a Security Council session that “since 1945, the United Nations Security Council has been a bedrock of global peace and security, but the cracks in its foundation are becoming too large to ignore.”

“They contribute to the deadlock, stalemate, and stagnation surrounding today’s most pressing crises. “They are contributing to a larger crisis of credibility and legitimacy that is affecting multilateralism itself,” he said.

Noting that the Council “was designed by the victors of the Second World War and reflects the power structures of that time,” Guterres stated that the world has changed dramatically since 1945, and the Council’s composition has not kept up.

“In 1945, most of today’s African countries were still under colonial rule and had no say in international affairs,” he stated.

This, he argued, has resulted in a “obvious omission” that remains unresolved: the absence of a permanent member representing Africa on the Security Council.

Guterres emphasized Africa’s role in global peace and security, noting that nearly half of all country-specific or regional conflicts on the Council’s agenda are in Africa.

“Africa is underrepresented in global governance structures, from the Security Council to international financial institutions, but overrepresented in the issues that these structures are intended to address. “Conflicts, emergencies, and geopolitical divisions have an enormous impact on the African continent,” he stated.

Guterres acknowledged Africa’s significant contributions to UN peacekeeping, with more than 40% of UN peacekeepers being African, and called for democratization of the Council’s working methods, including more systematic consultations with host states and regional organizations.

He urged all member states to attend the upcoming Summit of the Future, stating that “African voices, insights, and participation must be brought to bear across the Council’s deliberations and actions.”

The Council session comes after Sierra Leone, the Council’s president in August, organized a high-level debate titled “Maintenance of international peace and security: addressing historical injustice and enhancing Africa’s effective representation on the Security Council.”