Ghana and five northern European countries have advocated reforms in the structure of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to reflect a more balanced representation of the UN member countries.
According to the countries, which include Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, the imbalanced structure of the council made it unable to fulfill its mandate to maintain international peace and security.
Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, disclosed this to journalists after a meeting with her counterparts from these countries in Accra yesterday.
“We called for reforms in the Council to reflect a more balanced representation to enable the council to adapt and respond to new and evolving global challenges like climate change, novel pandemics, and global terrorism,” she said.
The 15-member UNSC consists of five permanent members with veto power – China, France, Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom – while the remaining 10 non-permanent seats are allocated regionally.
The 10 seats include three seats for African states; two each for Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Western Europe and other states; and one for Eastern Europe.
The call for reforms come days after UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, called on the UNSC to restructure its outdated composition and assign Africa a permanent seat at the table.
He told the council during a high-level debate on Monday that the continent was underrepresented while the composition of the UNSC had failed to keep pace with a changing world.
The meeting and subsequent press conference addressed by MsBotchwey was part of the first-ever joint visit to Ghana by the five nations, called Nordic countries due to their shared cultural, historical and geographic ties.
They are in Ghana to firm up their relations and explore new ways of cooperation. During their two-day visit, they will meet President Akufo-Addo and various identifiable groups.
The joint delegation, led by the Minister for Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Sweden, Tobias Billström, includes Denmark’s MFA, Lars Løkke Rasmussen; Finland’s MFA, ElinaValtonen; Iceland’s MFA, Thórdís Gylfadóttir; and the State Secretary for International Development of Norway, Bjørg Sandkjaer.
Their discussion, held behind closed doors, centred on global security and multilateral cooperation, regional security and development, cooperation on counter-terrorism, trade and investment, democracy and human rights, and climate change.
Ms Botchwey indictaed that regarding regional security and development, they touched on the situation in the Sahel and West Africa, where Ghana was engaged in counter-terrorism efforts. She highlighted Ghana’s dedication to promoting regional peace and security, and welcomed further support from Nordic partners.
On trade and investment, she said there was a pressing need to enhance trade and investment between Ghana and Nordic countries. She urged Nordic partners to explore new sectors and boost investment flows, particularly leveraging the opportunities offered by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
She further noted that Ghana’s stable democratic system and commitment to human rights were discussed, during which she touted the country’s progress, including the abolition of the death penalty and its active role on the UN Human Rights Council.
On behalf of the countries, Mr Billström acknowledged the longstanding relations with Ghana and expressed their desire to deepen these ties for mutual benefits.
BY JONATHAN DONKOR