“At the same time, I think we all agree that a reformed Security Council must remain effective and authoritative,” Polyanskiy said in the UN Council meeting on Africa’s inclusion. "For this, its membership should not be too broad."
He further explained that a UN Security Council with 25 to 30 members would struggle to function effectively.
Earlier, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the UN Security Council needs a "permanent voice" for Africa among its ranks. Guterres called it unacceptable that the body in charge of the world's security "lacks a permanent voice for a continent of well over a billion people," which makes up 28% of the membership of the United Nations.
"African participation must be brought to bear across the council’s deliberations and actions," Guterres said during a UN Security Council meeting on Africa’s representation. "This is not just a question of ethics and justice. It is also a strategic imperative that can increase global acceptance of the Council’s decisions — benefiting Africa and the world."
Africa is under-represented in global governance structures but over-represented in the challenges these structures are designed to address, Guterres said.