S. Africa reiterates calls for Africa to be included as UNSC permanent member

South Africa on Wednesday reiterated its call for an African country to be included in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa Alvin Botes made the remarks at a symposium to reflect on the role South Africa plays in fostering multilateralism in Africa and the rest of the world.

“South Africa calls for the transformation of the UNSC by advancing the Sirte Declaration and Ezulwini Consensus which amongst others says that Africa must have a permanent member at all levels of the UNSC,” he said.

He pointed out that the two-year non-permanent member of the UNSC does not allow for consistency. “What is pivotal when we want to deepen multilateralism is for the transformation of the UNSC, which is an apex body of the UN which regulates the conduct and the posture of Member States as relates to peace and development,” he said.

He stated that South Africa supports the South-South cooperation where they take sides with the vulnerable and the poor. The Executive Director of the Institute for Global Dialogue Philani Mthembu said multilateralism is not in good state.

He called on South Africa to encourage other countries to embrace multilateralism which he said is in the “intensive care unit”.

The African Union resolved at Ezulwini Consensus in 2005 which called for a more democratic and representative UN which includes Africans.

Xinhua News Agency