The United Nations cannot effectively police the world if it locks an entire continent out of the decision-making room. This was the blunt message from Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio at the UN General Assembly. He argued that keeping Africa off the permanent UN Security Council does not just hurt Africa—it directly weakens the United Nations itself.
“When you exclude the voices of 1.4 billion people, you lose your legitimacy,” President Bio declared. He explained that the Security Council is currently failing to solve modern crises because it relies on an outdated power structure from 1945. Without Africa at the table, the Council’s decisions lack the moral authority and practical insight needed to actually work on the ground.
Sierra Leone knows the importance of effective peacekeeping, having successfully rebuilt itself after a devastating civil war. President Bio used this firsthand experience to highlight why operational effectiveness matters. “Decisions made without us will never fully work for us,” he stated.
He stressed that the UN must reform if it wants its resolutions to be taken seriously. The continent hosts the majority of UN peacekeeping missions, yet has no permanent say in how those missions are designed or run. Adding permanent African seats is not about doing the continent a favor. As global challenges grow more complex, President Bio made it clear that a Security Council without Africa is simply not equipped to maintain world peace.