France Calls For Security Council Reform
French President Emmanuel Macron said Africa should be represented among the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, as he spoke in Addis Ababa on Wednesday.
“We are fighting for Africa to be represented among the permanent members of the Security Council […] The time has come,” Macron told African leaders after talks with African Union Commission Chair Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Macron said that if the African Union reached a consensus on two African nominees, he hoped none of the current permanent members would block the move.
France Pushes Limits On Vetoes
The UN Security Council currently has 15 members: five permanent members with veto power – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States – and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.
France has also been pushing for limits on the use of veto power by permanent Security Council members in cases involving mass atrocities. Eleven African countries recently joined a France-Mexico initiative calling on permanent members to voluntarily refrain from using the veto in cases of genocide, crimes against humanity and large-scale war crimes.
Veto Powers Face Growing Criticism
“In the event of a mass crime, no one can legitimately understand how a member state that has the veto right in the Security Council can block the proper functioning of the United Nations,” Macron said.
Military Influence Continues Declining
Macron’s remarks came at the end of an Africa tour that included stops in Egypt, Kenya and Ethiopia, as France seeks to reset its relations with the continent.
France’s influence in parts of Africa has come under heavy pressure in recent years. Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger all pushed French forces out after military takeovers, ending years of counter-terrorism cooperation, while Paris has also moved to reduce or end its military presence in Senegal and the Ivory Coast.
Article by Viory
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