In a debate convened by Mozambique to address the strengthening of the role of African States in security and development challenges, António Guterres stressed that the strengthening of Africa's voice can only happen if African countries can participate "on an equal footing" in global governance structures.

"This must include correcting the lack of permanent African representation on this Council. And it must include reforming the global financial architecture --- especially debt management --- so that African countries have the support they need to climb the development ladder," he insisted.

Often considered obsolete, the Security Council has been the target of reform and expansion requests for decades, with emerging countries such as India, South Africa, and Brazil seeking to join the five permanent members - Russia, China, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom.

In general, almost all UN countries consider it necessary to reform the Security Council, but there is no agreement on how to do so, with different proposals on the table for years, some of which include permanent African representation on the Council, a request that António Guterres has also supported.

In a statement divided into three languages - Portuguese, English, and French - Guterres recalled that after World War II, global governance mechanisms -- including the UN Security Council - were designed by the most powerful countries of the time. 

"Many African countries were still shaking off the chains of colonialism. The world has changed since then, but international institutions have not," he noted.

"Today, African countries continue to be denied a seat at the decision-making table, including in this very Council," insisted the leader of the United Nations.

According to the Secretary-General, the impacts of these structural inequalities are evident, with African States disproportionately suffering the effects of conflicts, an unfair global financial system, and the climate crisis.

At the same time, African countries are stepping up and contributing to peaceful solutions outside the continent, Guterres said, praising the case of Kenya, which volunteered to lead the next Security Support Mission in Haiti.

"Now is the time to unleash Africa's peacemaking power. We need to strengthen African peace leadership - on the continent itself and on the global stage. First: we need peace in Africa itself," he said, advocating for working together with the African Union based on the principle "of African-led solutions for African problems".

The UN chief stressed that too many Africans are caught "in the crossfire" of conflicts or live with the threat of terrorism and violent extremism, recalling the situations in the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin, Somalia, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Horn of Africa.

António Guterres pointed to the Future Summit, to be held in September in New York, as an opportunity to advance on these issues, and called on African member states to seize the moment and present specific proposals aimed at improving Africa's representation in all global governance structures.

As President of the Security Council this month, Mozambique promoted a presidential statement that reiterates support for the objectives set out in the AU's Agenda 2063 and encouraged global partnerships to accelerate its implementation, as well as supporting the initiative to Silence the Guns in Africa and the African Continental Free Trade Area.

"The Security Council calls on the international community to honour their respective commitments on development financing and support capacity-building of African States (...)", the statement also says.

Read Also: Guterres evita comentar reconhecimento da Palestina por 3 países europeus (Portuguese version)