Namibia has been advocating for the reform of the United Nations Security Council for a long time, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Peya Mushelenga said on Monday.

He said national leaders, including his mentor Theo-Ben Gurirab, the former president of the General Assembly, have called for the Security Council to be more representative and inclusive.

“It is on their shoulders that I stand today to continue advancing our conviction that the time to adjust the composition of the council to be fit for present-day realities, is long-overdue,” Mushelenga said while addressing the UN Security Council high-level debate on the maintenance of international peace and security in New York.

Namibia, he said, has first-hand experience
of the inadequacies of the council when the country had to battle for years for equal and just consideration of the plight against the vagaries of apartheid, colonialism and injustice.

“However, in the end, the council came to recognise and support our struggle for freedom and independence. Thus, we can today hold the strong belief in the invaluable role this council can and must play in the promotion of international peace and security,” the minister said.

The meeting discussed historical injustices, and how to enhance Africa’s effective representation in the UN Security Council.

Mushelenga said Africa will continue to advocate for the reform of the UN and other international institutions to correct the historical injustice done to a great continent.

“We cannot keep postponing the fulfilment of the desires of our people who seek to be seen and heard. Equitable geographical representation is an affirmed long-standing commitment of the UN. It is time that the extensive resources that have been invested in UN Security Council reform bear fruit. Tangible steps should be taken to advance the council’s legitimacy, credibility and effectiveness,” he stated.

-Nampa