UN structures must better reflect the diversity of the modern world, which will require their reform, Cyril Ramaphosa said, speaking at the Future Summit at the United Nations headquarters.
"We need to make these [UN] institutions more representative of the current membership of the United Nations. We need to make them more inclusive of the diversity of views on this planet. […] We must reflect on the effectiveness of the United Nations. We need to ensure that the UN is able to address contemporary and future challenges, both the known and anticipated, and to build resilience for the unknown," he said.
Therefore, he called for improving the effectiveness of the UN Security Council.
"Seventy years since its founding, the structure of the UNSC remains largely unchanged. It is clearly no longer fit and adequate to address our modern-day challenges. We live in a world where the threats and risks to international peace and security are multi-faceted, complex, and ever-evolving," he said.
Ramaphosa added that it is unjust, unfair, and unsustainable to place the fate of the world's security in the hands of a select few when the vast majority bears the brunt of these threats. He also pointed out that the current structure of the UN Security Council does not represent all countries or consider their voices and viewpoints.
Earlier, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that the UN Security Council requires a "permanent voice" for Africa within its ranks. He labeled it as unacceptable for the leading security body of the world to "lack a permanent voice for a continent of well over a billion people," which constitutes 28% of the United Nations' membership.
According to Guterres, Africa is not adequately represented in global governance structures, despite being disproportionately affected by the challenges these structures are meant to address.