The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation (MIRCO), Peya Mushelenga, says the UN Security Council cannot keep postponing the fulfilment of the desires of Africans to reform the institution for broader representation.
Dr. Mushelenga says the issue of Africa not being represented in the permanent category of the Council must be urgently addressed.
The Minister reaffirmed Africa's demand for permanent and two additional non-permanent seats on the UN Security Council during the high-level debate on the maintenance of international peace and security in New York.
The debate, chaired by Sierra Leone, sought to deliberate the historical injustice and enhance Africa's effective representation in the Security Council.
Africa's demand for equitable representation is best elucidated in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, jointly comprising the Common African Position on Security Council reform.
Minister Mushelenga told the session that the growing pressure from the continent's young population on leaders can no longer be ignored or postponed.
"It would be remiss of me not to emphasise the patience Africa has exercised thus far. This patience does not mean acquiescence. However, over time, this is bound to diminish. Africa has a growing youth demographic whose degree of patience is minimal, particularly when their dreams of hope are shattered by the expedient tortoise pace at which the Security Council reform has been addressed. The cracks in the monolith that symbolise democratic governance values are inevitable."
Dr. Mushelenga also cautioned that by maintaining the status quo, democratic global governance will remain elusive.
As such, it contradicts the most fundamental principles upon which the UN is founded.
"This is undesirable and impedes our efforts to find a solution that garners the widest possible political acceptance by Member States, taking into consideration the five clusters of reform. The call for a Council that reflects present-day realities is a march for progress in the world and not a request for a favour to the African continent. Oh, yes! Ours is a voice of reasoning, signifying a legitimate plea for justice and advocacy for equality."
Africa's call for inclusion in the UN's most powerful body has been receiving growing support, in line with the broader calls for total reform of the world body.