Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister for Information, has repeated Ghana’s call for the reformation of the United Nations.
Ghana, which currently holds a 2 year rotational seat on the Security Council, 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 argued that Africa, Latin America and Asia need permanent representation on the Security Council.
“Decision making at the UN is also not democratic if the five permanent members 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 today’s conflicts, which are impacting our people severely in Africa,” he said at the Raisina Dialogue held in New Delhi, India recently.
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 5 permanent members 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
The Information Minister’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.
