UNITED NATIONS, Aug 13: The lack of adequate geographic representation in the UN Security Council is responsible for its failures, and giving Africa permanent membership will be essential to make the highest decision-making body effective, R. Ravindra, charge d'affaires of India's UN mission has said.
Speaking on behalf of the G-4, the group of India, Brazil, Germany and Japan, on Monday at an open debate of the Council on reforming itself, he said, "A primary reason for the underperformance of this critical institution remains the non-representation of Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean and the under-representation of Asia-Pacific in the permanent category".
"We are convinced that African representation in both permanent and non-permanent categories will be an indispensable part of UNSC reform for a more representative and effective Council," he said.
The meeting of the Council was convened by Sierra Leone, which holds the rotating presidency, to push Africa's case for reforming the Council to give the continent better representation.
Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio said, "Despite being home to over 1.3 billion people, and the 54 African countries making up 28 per cent of the total membership of the UN," Africa continues to suffer from the historic injustice of being deprived of permanent seats at the Council.
"Nearly 80 years after its creation, the Council has been stuck in time" -- 1945 when the UN was created while most of Africa was under the colonial yoke perpetuating the injustice, he said.
"Africa demands two permanent seats in the UN Security Council and two additional non-permanent seats" to the existing three, he said.
Mr Ravindra said, "We as G-4 continue to support fully these legitimate demands and aspirations from the people of Africa" and its relationship with the continent " is anchored in trust and mutual respect and is focused on ensuring that Africa finds its rightful place in a new age of reformed multilateralism".
"It is also inconceivable that Africa which constitutes over 70 per cent of the UNSC's agenda items under discussions, does not get a permanent voice at the horse-shoe table" at the Council chamber, he said.
Mr Ravindra said the Inter-governmental Negotiations (IGN) for Council reforms should expedite text-based negotiations so that it can proceed with the reform process in time for the 80th anniversary of the UN next year. —IANS
