Photo credit: Times of Israel
The United States has announced that it will support adding two permanent seats for African countries on the United Nations Security Council and a first-ever non-permanent seat for a small island developing nation.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US Ambassador to the UN, stated this in a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations, calling it a follow-up to US President Joe Biden’s announcement two years ago that the US supports the expansion of the 15-member body.
Africa already has three non-permanent seats on the Security Council, but it is not allowing African countries “to deliver the full benefit of eir knowledge and voices,” she said
“That is why, in addition to non-permanent membership for African countries, the United States supports creating two permanent seats for Africa on the council. It’s what our African partners seek, and it’s what we believe is just,” she said.
But she later said the US opposes giving veto power to the African countries that would hold the two permanent seats because veto makes the Security Council work “dysfunctional.”
That shows the limits of Washington’s power over African countries. While Security Council resolutions are legally binding, targeted countries often ignore them.
Most countries agree that the Security Council should be expanded to reflect the world in the 21st century and include more voices. However, the central question is how to do it.
The Security Council is charged with maintaining international peace and security.
