Sierra Leone's president uses UN Security Council presidency to urge more seats for Africa
Sierra Leone’s president says Africa cannot wait any longer to get a bigger voice in the United Nations’ most powerful body, the Security Council
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — After decades of seeking a bigger voice in the United Nations ' most powerful body, Africa "cannot wait any longer,” Sierra Leone's president told the Security Council on Monday.
Chairing a meeting that his country convened, President Julius Maada Bio pressed a longstanding bid for African countries to get more council seats, including two permanent and potentially veto-wielding spots.
“The time for half-measures and incremental progress is over. Africa must be heard, and its demands for justice and equity must be met,” Bio said, calling his continent the “unquestionable victim” of an imbalanced, outdated and unrepresentative Security Council structure.
It wasn't the first time the council has heard calls for expanding and reshaping its membership — and African countries aren't the only ones that want more representation. While there's a general sense that the council needs to change, discussions have bogged down over differences on how much to expand the group, what countries to include and what powers it should have.
