At the 81st UN General Assembly, African leaders called for at least two permanent African and five non-permanent Security Council seats, with veto power for new permanent members while the veto remains. All five permanent members must ratify any Charter change.
The General Assembly began intergovernmental negotiations on reform in 2008, but talks have not settled the Council’s size, membership categories, regional representation or veto. A Charter amendment requires a two-thirds General Assembly vote and ratification by two-thirds of UN members, including all five permanent members.
The Council adopted 44 resolutions in 2025; 18 of its 24 Chapter VII resolutions concerned Africa. The African Union has not selected countries for the proposed seats. Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa have pursued permanent representation, while the AU says it should choose the continent’s representatives.
