Delivered by H.E Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, a message has been sent out by Ethiopia calling for reform in the UN Security Council at the institution’s 77th General Assembly held on Saturday.
The Security Council was formed with the primary responsibility of maintaining international peace and security, whose decisions must be adhered to by all member states. It has 15 Members, five permanent (China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States) and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly.
According to Plus News, Demeke called attention to Africa’s lack of seat at the big, permanent table, which subsequently deprives the continent of the respect and support it deserves for solving both its issues as well as its contribution to resolving global challenges. “We believe,” he was reported saying, “these considerations underpin the credibility of the council in the continent.”
