African Union member states, including Namibia, Kenya, and Sierra Leone, have reiterated that the continent's continued exclusion from the United Nations Security Council can no longer be tolerated.

Namibia's President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, alongside fellow African Heads of State and Government, delivered interventions during the AU Committee of Ten (C-10) summit held at the UN Headquarters.

The summit, chaired by Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio, Chair of the C-10, aimed to strengthen engagement between African leaders and key stakeholders in the ongoing intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform.

For more than two decades, Africa has been demanding two permanent seats on the Security Council – with full privileges, including veto power – to ensure the continent is fully represented in global decision-making.

Leaders emphasised that the UN's upcoming 80th anniversary presents a historic opportunity to address longstanding imbalances. 

Africa makes up one-third of UN membership and hosts the majority of peacekeeping missions, yet remains excluded from the Council's core decision-making. 

This, they argue, is not only unjust but also undermines the UN's ability to fulfil its mandate.

While Africa has remained resolute and unwavering in its demands, Kenya cautions that the same should prevail should the continent's quest be considered.

The C-10 summit also marked the 20th anniversary of the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declarations, the two landmark documents that laid out Africa's position for a more representative and democratic Security Council, where all regions hold an equal voice.