UN chief calls Africa's lack of permanent Security Council seat 'unjust and indefensible'

At the 81st UN General Assembly on September 22, 2026, Secretary-General António Guterres called the Security Council's lack of permanent African seats "unjust and indefensible," more than 80 years after the UN's founding. Africa has 54 of the UN's 193 member states but no permanent council representation. The African Union demands at least two permanent seats with veto power, a position supported by Kenya, South Africa, and France. General Assembly President Khalilur Rahman said Africa "cannot be asked to wait indefinitely," while African leaders describe the exclusion as a historical injustice requiring urgent reform.