Addis Ababa — Urgent reform of the United Nations system and comprehensive debt relief for African countries are essential to the continent's development and global fairness, Angola's Permanent Representative to the UN, Francisco José da Cruz, said.
The Permanent Representative stressed that reform of the UN, particularly the Security Council, is long overdue. While Africa now represents 54 member states at the UN, it remains without permanent representation in the Security Council.
"Africa is the only continent which is not represented in the permanent seat category. This is a historical injustice that must be corrected," he noted.
Citing Africa's common position under the Ezulwini Consensus and the 2005 Sirte Declaration, Francisco José da Cruz firmly reiterated the continent's demand for two permanent seats with veto power and two additional non-permanent seats on the Security Council.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
"We represent the largest bloc at the UN. If we stand united and clear about our strategy, we can make a real difference," he said, urging African countries to continue speaking with one voice in multilateral forums.
Moreover, Francisco José da Cruz highlighted the pressing need to reform the international financial architecture, warning that Africa's growing debt burden is severely limiting its development prospects.
"The burden of debt is undermining our capability of advancing the development agenda. The way we have access to financing is not in a preferable condition, and at the end we have to pay heavily for it."
He cautioned that without meaningful debt relief and improved access to financing on more favorable terms, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will remain out of reach.
"As long as we cannot address the debt and financing issue, it will be very difficult to accomplish the development goals and truly leave no one behind," the Permanent Representative emphasized.
He argued that achieving sustainable development requires a dual approach: Reforming global financing systems to ensure fairer access to capital, and strengthening internal resource mobilization.
While advocating for more equitable international financial structures, Francisco José da Cruz said that African countries can undertake transformative projects through domestic efforts, highlighting Ethiopia's financing of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
"If Ethiopia did it, other African countries can also mobilize internal resources for transformative infrastructure projects," he noted.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
He urged African nations to adopt a pragmatic, step-by-step approach to continental integration. Regional integration, according to him, remains key to accelerating development.
The Permanent Representative finally remarked that unity among African nations remains critical in pushing forward both UN reform and financial restructuring.
"We can only advance our interests if we stand together, stronger and more united," he said.
