Algeria calls for addressing historical injustice against Africa in UN Security Council

Algeria has called for ending what it terms a “historical injustice” against Africa in the United Nations (UN) Security Council, by granting the continent two permanent seats.

This came in a speech delivered by Foreign Minister Sabri Boukadoum during his participation in a ministerial meeting of the African Union committee in charge of the UN Security Council reform file, held on Tuesday.

“We must maintain our unity and harmony, and speak as one about our shared African position,” Boukadoum expressed in his speech published by the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.

He continued: “Our group represents the continent and we must work to correct the historical injustice against Africa in the United Nations.”

According to the minister, the African countries demand that the UN grants the continent two permanent seats in the Security Council, increase its representation in non-permanent seats and reform the working methods of the council.

The African Union summit held in Sirte in 2005 established the Sirte Declaration, which called for comprehensive reform in the UN bodies and ensuring fair representation of the continent in the UN Security Council by granting it two permanent seats and five non-permanent seats.

The UN Security Council currently consists of 15 countries, including five permanent members: the US, Britain, France, China and Russia.

Each permanent member has the power to veto, allowing it to block any draft resolutions. Many criticised this for being a tool to serve the interests of the previously mentioned countries and impede the work of international institutions.

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