Pakistan backs Africa’s push for UNSC reform, calls for ‘justice, not privilege’ in global power reset

• Permanent representative Asim Iftikhar Ahmad says Africa’s demand for seats is a ‘matter of principle’

• Supports African Union’s unified plan for two permanent and five non-permanent seats

• Uniting for Consensus rejects expansion of new permanent seats, pushes elected membership model

• Pakistan aligns with Africa on regional representation, rotation and broader consensus approach

• Africa’s ‘Ezulwini Consensus’ framed as correction of historic injustice, not power grab

 UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has reaffirmed its strong support for “Africa’s demand for enhanced representation” in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), backing reforms aimed at making the 15-member body more representative, democratic and effective in addressing evolving global challenges.

“Rectifying the injustice suffered by Africa is not a matter of concession but of principle,” Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said during the ongoing Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN), at a session focused on the “African Model” for restructuring the Council.

The African Model, a unified proposal endorsed by all 55 member states of the African Union, calls for two permanent seats for Africa — with equal rights, including veto power — along with five non-permanent seats, in a bid to address longstanding historical imbalances.

At present, the Security Council comprises five permanent members — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — alongside 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.

Comprehensive negotiations on Council reform began in the UN General Assembly in February 2009, covering five key areas: categories of membership, the question of veto, regional representation, the size of an enlarged Council, and its working methods, including its relationship with the General Assembly.

While there is broad consensus among member states on the need to expand the Council to improve representation and legitimacy — particularly for the Global South — divisions persist over its size, composition and the powers of new members.

In his remarks, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said Pakistan stands ready to work with Africa and other partners to achieve a “just, democratic and representative” Council that reflects both the spirit of the UN Charter and contemporary global realities.

He noted that Africa’s demand, articulated in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, seeks equitable regional representation and differs fundamentally from the position of the Group of Four — India, Brazil, Germany and Japan — which are pursuing permanent seats for individual states.

Describing the African position as “not a pursuit of privilege but a desire for justice and equity,” the Pakistani envoy reiterated Islamabad’s alignment with calls for fairer regional representation.

At the same time, he underscored Pakistan’s principled opposition to the creation of new permanent seats. Pakistan, along with Italy, co-leads the Uniting for Consensus group, which advocates expanding the Council through additional elected members to enhance inclusivity and legitimacy.

“We believe that additional elected members will enhance regional representation and ownership, thereby imparting more legitimacy to the Council,” he said.

Ambassador Ahmad noted that the positions of the UfC and African Union converge on several key aspects, including regional representation, rotation and consensus-building. He said the UfC proposal offers the flexibility to accommodate Africa’s demand for stronger and sustained representation based on regional agreement, while also ensuring representation of all African sub-regions.

He further pointed out that Africa’s demand for veto power is framed collectively for the entire region rather than individual states. While Pakistan supports the abolition or significant restriction of the veto, he suggested that mechanisms could be devised to safeguard Africa’s collective interests in a reformed Council, even without extending veto powers.

Highlighting another area of convergence, he said both the UfC and African Union emphasise achieving reform through the “broadest possible agreement” across the UN membership.

“This support cannot be compared with aspirants of individual permanent seats whose unilateral claims have led to serious divisions in their respective regions and the wider membership,” he said, in an apparent reference to the Group of Four countries.

Earlier, Sierra Leone’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Michael Imran Kanu, presented the African Model, urging member states to support the proposal as a means to address the historical injustice faced by the continent.