Kojo Oppong Nkrumah
Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has reiterated Ghana’s call for reform of the United Nations (UN).
Ghana, which currently holds a two-year rotational seat on the Security Council (SC), has been advocating alongside other global partners for reforms to make the UN more representative and effective in the face of crises.
Joining India and other nations to make the call, Mr. Nkrumah said Africa, Latin America and Asia need permanent representation to enable the UNSC better reflect their views.
“Decision making at the UN is also not democratic if the P5 hold on to veto powers. These veto powers mean they can block any potential action by the global body which does not conform to their self interest. This leaves the global body weak and unable to tackle boldly issues like todays conflicts which are impacting our people severely in Africa,” he stated.
According to Mr. Oppong Nkrumah, the reforms need to be set within an urgent time frame with a clearly defined scope if the UN is to turn around quickly and maintain global legitimacy.
“The current decision-making arrangements within international institutions, particularly the UN Security Council needs to be looked at. The veto power held by the five permanent members (P5) can hinder the timely resolution of issues, especially if those members are also contributing to the problem at hand. Additionally, the emergence of non-state actors and terrorist groups has created a new set of challenges that require a more dynamic and responsive approach from global bodies such as the UN,” he added.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah’s position resonates with the sentiments expressed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres amid growing calls for the council to be expanded to include permanent representation from Africa.
At present, the council has five permanent members – the US, the UK, Russia, France, and China – with each having veto powers on any issue presented at the council.
Ghana currently holds a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council, which it won in June 2020.
Mr. Nkrumah was speaking at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, India.