South Africa is using the 81st United Nations General Assembly to intensify calls for permanent African representation on the UN Security Council, arguing that the continent should have a greater role in decisions affecting international peace and security.
South Africa’s Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, Ambassador Mxolisi Sizo Nkosi, said Security Council reform remains a key priority for Pretoria during the ongoing intergovernmental negotiations (IGN) on UN reform.
Push for African permanent seats
Nkosi said South Africa would continue building support for the Common African Position, principally contained in the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration.
Under that position, Africa is seeking two permanent seats on the Security Council with the same privileges and prerogatives as existing permanent members, including the veto if it is retained, alongside five additional non-permanent seats.
Africa currently has no permanent seat on the 15-member Security Council. The body consists of five permanent members and 10 non-permanent members, with the latter elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms.
South Africa seeks progress through negotiations
Nkosi said Pretoria wants the reform debate to move forward through the ongoing IGN process, which addresses issues including the Council’s size, regional representation and the future of the veto.
The United Nations’ 2026 reform discussions show that member states remain divided over several aspects of expansion, particularly whether any new permanent members should receive veto powers. At the same time, there is broader convergence around the need for more equitable regional representation.
South Africa argues that Africa’s absence from the permanent category does not reflect the continent’s role in global affairs or its significant involvement in international peace and security matters. Nkosi also pointed to Africa’s large population, economic importance and the number of conflicts affecting the continent as reasons for greater representation.
UN reform remains a broader South African priority
The Security Council campaign forms part of South Africa’s wider agenda at UNGA81, which includes strengthening multilateralism, addressing global inequality, peace and security, climate change and the governance of artificial intelligence.
The 81st General Assembly’s high-level debate is taking place in New York from September 22 to 28, 2026, bringing world leaders and senior officials together to discuss major international challenges.
For South Africa, the UNGA provides another platform to press for changes to a Security Council structure that Pretoria and the African Union argue should better reflect today’s global political landscape.
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