By Sofiat Adenekan-Abdul
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has renewed calls for far-reaching reforms of the United Nations, insisting that Africa must be granted permanent representation on the UN Security Council to correct what he described as a “historic injustice.”
Speaking on Monday in Nairobi during the groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion of the UN’s Kenyan campus, Guterres said the current global governance structure no longer reflects modern geopolitical realities.
“We need deeper reforms of global institutions that reflect the world as it is today, not as it was 80 years ago, and this includes the Security Council, where a historic injustice persists in denying Africa permanent seats,” he said.
The UN chief acknowledged that reforming the Security Council remains a difficult task, noting that any major changes would require the backing of the council’s five permanent members — the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia and China — all of which currently wield veto powers.
Despite the challenges, Guterres pointed to ongoing conversations led by Britain and France aimed at limiting the use of veto powers in situations involving genocide and severe humanitarian crises.
“It’s important to say that reform is absolutely necessary because, with the geopolitical divides we are witnessing, securing peace and security in the present world is becoming extremely difficult, and we need an effective Security Council,” he stated.
His remarks came as French and Kenyan foreign affairs officials met on the sidelines of a two-day summit jointly hosted by France and Kenya, bringing together African leaders and business executives to discuss regional cooperation and reforms to global governance systems.
During the visit, Guterres also launched a $340 million expansion project at the UN campus in Nairobi, part of the organisation’s broader efforts to cut operational costs by relocating some staff from New York and Geneva.
“It is a cheaper location than others. It’s good business for the UN,” he said.
Originally established to host the UN’s environmental and housing agencies, the Nairobi campus has expanded significantly over the years and now houses more than 80 UN offices with over 4,000 staff members.
The expansion comes amid mounting financial pressure on the United Nations following funding cuts to humanitarian programmes under the administration of Donald Trump, prompting the organisation to intensify cost-saving measures globally.
