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President Cyril Ramaphosa has joined calls for the urgent reform of the UN Security Council, which he said remained "largely unchanged" in the 78 years since its formation.
The president made the commment during his speech at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The six-day event, running from September 24 to 30, will see about 87 heads of state, three vice presidents, two crown princes, 45 heads of government, eight deputy heads of government, 45 ministers and four lower-ranked heads of a delegation address the General Assembly.
Ramaphosa, who addressed the assembly on Tuesday, spoke about the importance of a “representative and inclusive” UN Security Council amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ukraine, Yemen and Sahel region.
The 15-member council is charged with maintaining international peace and security. Of the 15, only five countries have veto powers which allows them to block any action by the body.
“Seventy-eight years since its formation, the structure of the UN Security Council remains largely unchanged. Africa and its 1.4-billion people remain excluded from its key decision-making structures. The security council has not fulfilled its mandate to maintain international peace and security.
“The UN Security Council must be reformed as a matter of urgency. It must become more inclusive so the voices of all nations are heard and considered. Africa stands ready to play its part in building a safer global order,” the president said.
According to Reuters, many world leaders, particularly from Africa and key powers including Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan, are likely to repeat calls for the reform of the council.
Turning to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, which has claimed more than 41,000 lives, caused a hunger crisis and displaced the entire 2.3-million population in Gaza, Ramaphosa said the unabating violence should “shock our collective humanity”.
“The violence the Palestinian people are being subjected to is a grim continuation of more than half a century of apartheid. We South Africans know what apartheid looks like.
“We lived through it. We suffered and died under it. We will not remain silent and watch as apartheid is perpetrated against others. Through the UN and the instruments it wields, we must end the suffering,” he said.
Ramaphosa also spoke about the continuing spread of Mpox around the world, and Africa in particular, as he called on the international community to “mobilise vaccine stockpiles and other medical countermeasures for deployment where they are most needed”.
His speech comes a day after he addressed the South Africa/US Business Forum at the New York Stock Exchange, where he is on a drive to secure R2-trillion in investment for the country.
In the address, he told delegates the formation of the government of national unity, which the ANC is leading, “has renewed investor optimism in the South African economy”.
“The message I bring to US investors today is that this optimism is well-placed. South Africa is firmly on the road to recovery, and we invite you to be part of this journey.
“Investments in South Africa are secure. Our business environment is stable. This is supported by policy certainty and regulatory safeguards.”
- Additional reporting by Reuters
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