Akufo-Addo urges UN Security Council overhaul, calls for equal global representation

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called for urgent reforms to the United Nations Security Council, advocating for a more inclusive and just global governance structure.

Speaking at the UN Summit on the Future of the World on Tuesday, 24 September 2024, President Akufo-Addo emphasised that the Security Council, in its current form, is an outdated institution that no longer reflects the realities of the modern world.

“In its current form, the [Security] Council does not reflect the realities of today’s world. It remains an outdated post-Second World War relic, with Africa, a continent of 1.4 billion people, grossly underrepresented,” President Akufo-Addo noted.

He further argued that genuine multilateralism cannot thrive while international governance systems remain steeped in inequality.

"We cannot speak of multilateralism when the structures of global governance are rooted in an unjust and unequal order. Mr. President, the time for half-measures is over. Bold reforms are needed to ensure that every nation, large or small, rich or poor, has an equal voice at the table,” he stated.

President Akufo-Addo's address comes ahead of his final speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, 25 September 2024, where he is expected to tackle issues such as climate change and other global challenges.