“With more than a quarter of the members of the United Nations, Africa is grossly underrepresented on the Security Council, and this is a historical injustice that must be rectified,” Russian ambassador to Ethiopia, Evgeny Terekhin, told the Ethiopia News Agency.

Every year it becomes clear to everyone that when the United Nations was created, an injustice was committed concerning African countries, which constitute more than a quarter of the voices in the multilateral organization, said Terekhin, who attributed the imbalance at a time when only two or three countries on the continent were independent. “The world has changed dramatically since then and it is time to correct this anomaly,” he stressed.

The Russian diplomat noted that the UN Security Council frequently addresses African issues, therefore the continent must have a permanent voice in decision-making. “Moscow has repeatedly expressed its support for the principles outlined in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration that advocate African representation in the Council,” he added.

“We support African countries in getting their place on the Security Council; 70 percent of the agenda focuses on African problems. That is why it is natural that we support the general principles provided for in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration,” the ambassador emphasized.

However, Terekhin warned that any expansion should be approached with caution to avoid damaging the UN system. The current composition, which has three permanent members representing the West, is already biased.

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