Here’s the UNSC-African stance both the US and Russia agree upon

As reported by Reuters, the US is currently advocating to include two permanent seats for Africa on the UN security council as well as a seat to be shared amongst small island developing states.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, is slated to make the announcement on Thursday.

This move, according to the report by Reuters, is intended to win Africa over, considering the continent’s displeasure with the US’s support for Israel in the ongoing Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

The move is also aimed at building upon its relationship with Pacific Island countries and is crucial to fending off Chinese influence in the area.

The US ambassador stated in an interview with Reuters that she hopes the revelation would contribute to Joe Biden’s presidential legacy, standing as an “agenda forward in a way that we can achieve Security Council reform at some point in the future.”

The effort to advocate for two permanent African seats and a rotating seat for small island developing nations complements Washington’s long-standing support for India, Japan, and Germany to be granted permanent seats on the council.

He mentioned that the expansion of the council should not come as a result of the inclusion of other Western countries but the addition of African states, noting that the move would help eliminate the historical injustice committed against Africa by the UN.

His point centered around the fact that the emergence of a “truly multipolar world” is unattainable without the involvement of African governments.

“Africa’s current position in the body does not correspond either to the total number of states on the continent or to its contemporary role in international affairs,” the Russian Foreign Minister had said at the time.

The Minister at the time also added that Russia is eager to expand its political imprint in Africa, as well as improve economic and humanitarian ties with the homeland, which is prepared to play a significant role in the growing multipolar world.

While he expressed optimism that the move would be implemented soon, he insisted that it should not be done hastily. The ambassador pointed out that the African continent is yet to create a cohesive view on individual candidates.

The United Nations Security Council is the world’s premier institution for upholding international peace and security.

The UN Security Council is made up of 15 nations, with five permanent members (Russia, the United Kingdom, China, the United States, and France) and 10 non-permanent members who are chosen for two years.

The fifteen-member United Nations Security Council aims to confront challenges to international security. Its five permanent members, appointed in the aftermath of World War II, have veto power, according to its official website.

The organization has the authority to impose enforceable requirements on the 193 UN member nations to maintain peace.

However, some argue that the council has failed to represent several regions of the world, and the rising frequency of the veto undermines its usefulness.