Africa's lack of permanent seat at UN Security Council ‘indefensible’: UN chief

“This is 2026 – not 1946,” UN chief Antonio Guterres said, adding that whenever global decisions affecting Africa are made, “Africa must be at the table.”

By
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivers a speech during a summit at the Addis International Convention Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. / AP

UN chief Antonio Guterres told African leaders on Saturday that the continent’s lack of permanent representation on the UN Security Council is “indefensible,” urging long-delayed global reforms as the African Union opened its annual summit.

“This is 2026 – not 1946,” he said, adding that whenever global decisions affecting Africa are made, “Africa must be at the table.”

Guterres also called for urgent action to end conflicts across the continent, including an immediate ceasefire in Sudan and renewed commitments to halt fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

At the same time, leaders placed strong emphasis on water security, the official theme of this year’s summit, warning that climate pressures and resource scarcity are increasingly linked to instability.

TRT World - African leaders push for veto-wielding seat on UNSC, asking, 'If not now, then when?'

Outgoing AU Chairperson Joao Lourenco said African nations meet at a moment of global transition and must move from reacting to crises to shaping international agendas.

“Africa’s strength will lie in a union that is confident and united,” he said, stressing that the continent must assert its voice and influence global decision-making.

AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf framed water as both a development and security issue, calling it "our continental wealth” that must be used to promote peace and stability.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed noted that water is “more than a resource; it is the foundation of development, innovation, and stability,” and can become an engine of peace when managed cooperatively.

New AU chairperson

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who also attended the summit, said Europe’s future is inseparable from Africa’s stability and prosperity, underscoring the continent’s growing geopolitical importance.

"Neither Italy nor Europe can have a bright future without the meaningful participation of Africa," she said.

During the summit, Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye was elected African Union chairperson for 2026, taking over from Lourenco.

The two-day gathering is also expected to review major security crises across Africa, including Sudan, the Sahel region, and Somalia, alongside discussions on climate action, economic reform, and institutional strengthening.