Ben Kalu demands permanent UN security council seats for Africa

Benjamin Kalu, deputy speaker of the house of representatives, says Africa deserves permanent seats at the United Nations security council.

Kalu spoke on Tuesday at the heads of parliaments meeting at the UN headquarters in the US.

The deputy speaker said multilateralism requires that Africa has a seat at the table where key decisions are taken.

Multilateralism involves collective decision-making, cooperation, and diplomacy to address global challenges such as trade, security, climate change, and human rights.

“We need to define what we want to achieve with multilateralism. The current dynamic of multilateralism is driven by the global north while the global south is facing pressing developmental issues,” he said.

“My people in Nigeria have a saying that you cannot shave a man’s head in his absence. If you want developing countries to embrace multilateralism, give them more seats in rooms where developmental conversations are held and tailor the conversation to embrace and address their challenges.

“Using the sustainable development goals (SDGs) as an example, I agree that the SDGs were designed to address global issues but a critical appraisal will indicate that some of the issues the SDGs seek to address are not yet what developing countries wish to prioritise as they are yet to scale the hurdle of industrialisation and economic growth.

“Therefore, expecting them to embrace aspirational SDG targets may be a challenge.”

‘THERE’S NO EQUALITY’

The deputy speaker added that Africa’s perennial debt burden has left the continent with the shorter end of the stick on the development index.

“Let us define what we choose to achieve by multilateralism and expand the voices in the room to accommodate more of the global south so that the aspirations will be truly global,” Kalu said.

“I was addressing the presiding officers from all over the world who gathered to have this preparatory meeting for the world conference of speakers coming up in July. This is our 3rd meeting.

“I reminded them that the concept of multilateralism that all of us are talking about would remain a theoretical concept if it is not shaped in line with the principles that should guide it: principles of inclusivity and cooperation.

“The goal should be peace and prosperity in the world. For us to be able to achieve that, you need to ensure that at all times, those principles that guide the concept of multilateralism should be upheld to the highest level.

“When you do a critical analysis of how we have operated multilateralism — you will find out that the practice of equality is not there.

“The global south which Africa falls under is not treated as an equal when it comes to the table of making global policies that will benefit the world.

“If you break it down further, you find out that inclusivity is key to multilateralism. Africa at the moment is not part of the permanent seat in the security council of the United Nations.”

He also called for the amendment of article 108 of the UN Charter “to give more space for Africa to be involved”.