A nearly eight-decade long relationship, Africa’s and the United Nations’ (UN) history has been coloured by triumphs, failures, and controversies on both ends. The UN is defined as a diplomatic and political international organisation tasked with maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations, achieving international cooperation, and serving as a centre for coordinating the actions of member nations. From the UN’s perspective, Africa has been and remains an important ally in its work within the domains of global human rights, humanitarian development, and peace and security. For Africa - particularly since the formation of the African Union (AU) in 2002 - the UN has been and continues to be a prominent institution from which to voice out its positions on global developments and trajectories, as well as to collaborate in tackling the continent’s multiplying conflicts and crisis. Recently however, from the AU’s perspective, the UN has gradually lost its ability to guarantee an equitable rules-based international order with representation at the UN Security Council (UNSC) being a core grievance from African member states and the global south at large. This long held perception persists now at annual UN General Assembly (UNGA) summits, the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN), and the UNSC, as African member states at the UN are acutely aware of their weak bargaining power.

This, along with other critical factors resulted in growing need to reform the UNSC. The common African positions on the UNSC reform have been of great interest to scholars and international relations practitioners for almost two decades. Recently, interest has been reignited by the UNSC’s inability to respond to the Russia-Ukraine war and subsequent global calls to reform the council. Due to this, some have begun to question the future and legitimacy of multilateralism. Capitalising on this opportunity, Africa has furthered its quest for a more institutionalised representation of its collective voice in the decision-making processes at the UNSC whose decision to exclude Africa from permanent representation is seen as a historical injustice by Africa. The establishment of the AU and subsequent active engagements to address peace and security challenges on the continent marshalled a new era of agency in Africa’s role in peace and security diplomacy. However, the AU’s role alone (or through AU organs ordained to tackle peace and security) has not been sufficient to quell the rising conflicts afflicting the continent. Thus, substantial involvement within the apex UN body for addressing global peace and security has become increasingly pressing because the outcomes of UNSC meetings have long-lasting effects on how to approach conflict resolution on the continent. Within this context, this research paper investigates African perspectives on the UNSC, the recurrent institutional challenges at the council, the AU–UN multifaceted security partnership, and the UNSC reform process. This research paper specifically elaborates on and examines the obstacles that confront African member states on their journey to UNSC reform and considers the factors that may contribute to the success or failure of a common African position on UNSC reform. The objectives of this research paper are to explain, in a less technical and more descriptive format, the participation of African member states at the UNSC, and their agenda to reform the council.

The paper aims to delve into how member states view the reform process, and what each believes should be the priority of the process and what outcomes they expect. It attempts to explain the “who, what, why, when, and how” questions of the myriad resolutions adopted by the council on African conflicts, and what it means for African member states in the council and on the continent at large. Lastly, the research paper aims to draw attention to how African member states can leverage their positions and proposals for reform, and ways to enhance Africa’s agency at the UNSC.

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