Africa, small states need better representation on UN Security Council – Amb. Rodrigues-Birkett

Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett says Africa and small, developing states need better representation on the United Nations Security Council.

As such, Guyana backs Africa’s call for a permanent seat on the council and it believes a rotating seat for small states is necessary.

Guyana on Thursday took up the presidency of the council, one month after it started its two-year term on that body. And at a press briefing in New York, Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett was quizzed about Guyana’s views on reforming the council.

“In my national capacity, we believe security council reform is urgent and it may sound hollow because we have been saying this for the past three decades or so.

“We support the common African position, we believe it is a historical injustice that should be made right so we support Africa having a permanent seat on the council,” she said.

The ambassador further noted that a rotating seat should go to the small, developing islands because they are on the “frontlines of climate change” and may bring a fresh perspective to plans for the maintenance of peace and security globally.

The Security Council comprises 15 members, including the following five permanent members: China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The 10 remaining members are temporary and are elected for two-year terms. Algeria, Guyana, Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone and Slovenia were five temporary members elected for the 2024-2025 period.

But since 2005 when the African Union C-10 group was set up, countries in that continent have been advocating for reform of the council so that African countries can be included on a permanent basis alongside these developed nations.