Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has told U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that it is “unfair and untenable” that Africa is not represented among the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. “Specifically, the expansion of the Security Council in both the permanent and non-permanent categories is necessary,” the Nigerian president said when he received Ban at his presidential villa in Abuja, according to transcript provided by the United Nations. “A situation where Africa is totally excluded from the permanent membership of the council is unfair and untenable,” Jonathan said. “Mr. Secretary-General, given the realities of today's world, a comprehensive reform of the United Nations system is imperative at this time.” The secretary-general responded by saying that reform of the Security Council is a matter for the 192 U.N. member states and that negotiations have accelerated over the past three years. “I know that there is no African country represented in the Security Council as a permanent member, the member states of the U.N. have been discussing this matter for the past 20 years on how to adapt the Security Council to the changing world, considering the dramatic significant changes in the international political scenes,” Ban said. “They have begun to discuss and negotiate on the basis of the text, and I sincerely hope that they will find a good solution on this matter,” Ban said. “As the secretary-general, I have always been trying to facilitate such ongoing negotiations and processes.”
