By Stephen N. Sonpon
MONROVIA, Sept. 29 ( LINA) – President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. has taken Liberia’s longstanding call for greater African representation at the United Nations Security Council directly to the world stage, declaring that Africa’s exclusion from permanent membership must be addressed as part of comprehensive UN reform.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, President Boakai said the structure of the Security Council does not adequately reflect Africa’s population, membership in the United Nations or the continent’s central role in international peace and security.
“Eighty years of patience is enough. The time for structural reform is now,” President Boakai declared.
The President said Africa is home to about 1.5 billion people and accounts for nearly one-third of UN membership, yet the continent has no permanent seat on the Security Council.
He further pointed to the large share of the Council’s peace and security mandates that concern Africa.
For Liberia, the issue carries particular significance as the country serves as an elected member of the UN Security Council and seeks to use its diplomatic role to advance African interests in international peace and security.
Liberia has previously presented its Security Council candidacy as part of its broader commitment to multilateralism and the principles of the UN Charter.
President Boakai reaffirmed Liberia’s support for the Common African Position on Security Council reform and endorsed Africa’s demand for at least two permanent seats, together with additional non-permanent representation.
He said African permanent members should have the same rights and responsibilities as other permanent members, including the veto for as long as the veto remains part of the Council’s structure.
“Correcting this imbalance is not a favor to Africa; it is necessary to restore the United Nations’ trust, credibility, and legitimacy,” President Boakai said.
The President connected Security Council reform to the broader theme of the 81st General Assembly, “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations that Delivers for All.”
He argued that confidence in multilateralism has weakened because the principles of the UN Charter have not always been applied consistently.
“Our answer to that fragmentation cannot be less multilateralism. It must be better multilateralism,” he told the Assembly.
President Boakai also drew on Liberia’s own history as a country that emerged from civil conflict and rebuilt its democratic institutions.
He said Liberia’s experience demonstrates that dialogue can overcome division and that national institutions can be rebuilt after conflict.
Against the backdrop of Liberia’s own post-war experience, the President called for greater emphasis on preventive diplomacy, mediation and early-warning mechanisms to stop conflicts before they escalate.
He also urged an immediate end to hostilities in conflict zones, unhindered humanitarian access and respect for international humanitarian law.
On West Africa, President Boakai highlighted transnational organized crime, cyber threats and illicit narcotics trafficking as evolving security challenges facing the region.
He called for stronger international cooperation, including intelligence sharing, maritime surveillance and port-security support.
President Boakai said no country can confront transnational criminal networks alone, emphasizing the need for coordinated regional and international action.
The Liberian leader concluded by urging member states to make the United Nations more representative, effective and capable of delivering tangible results.
He said, restoring trust in global institutions must include greater African representation, stronger preventive diplomacy and a multilateral system capable of addressing the security and development concerns of all regions.