"Africa Must Not Be a Peripheral Participant" - Boakai Cautions African Leaders to Take Bold Steps at UN Security Council

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA: Liberian President Joseph Boakai has urged African member states on the United Nations Security Council to push for systemic reforms within the global body.

The Liberian Head of State said the United Nations stands at a crossroads, where bold decisions by African representatives are crucial to strengthening responses to peace and security challenges across the globe.

Addressing African leaders on Sunday, February 15, at a high-level consultation meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Boakai said delayed interventions in situations of instability and humanitarian crises in some nations are threatening global peace.

He called for a united African voice at the UN Security Council to ensure that security crises in affected countries receive swift attention.

President Boakai noted that Africa remains one of the most affected regions by political instability and financial constraints, adding that these challenges have limited development in many countries across the continent.

He said taking bold decisions would strengthen oversight of conflict resolution efforts in crisis-stricken parts of the world and place development initiatives at the core of the United Nations Security Council’s work.

“Calls for reform of the United Nations have grown broader and more urgent. Across Africa and the wider Global South, leaders have consistently underscored the importance of predictable financing, stronger prevention and mediation, and greater coherence among UN entities operating on the ground"

"The future of the United Nations will be shaped by those who choose to lead with clarity and courage. Africa must be among them, speaking with one voice, guided by shared principles, and committed to a multilateral system that truly serves all nations", he noted.

He furthered: “The difficulties facing the UN are not only financial. They are systemic. They concern how priorities are set, how mandates are implemented, how institutions coordinate, and how leadership navigates a world marked by rivalry, fragmentation, and declining trust. Reform must therefore be comprehensive, inclusive, and anchored in the lived realities of member states".

The Liberian President also called on the United Nations to prioritize economic investment in developing countries. He said low-income countries continue to face severe economic challenges, which are hindering national development.

"At this crossroads, our task is clear. We must engage constructively with all partners. We must welcome renewed commitments, including financial ones. But we must also insist that reform goes beyond budgets and addresses the deeper questions of relevance, effectiveness, and trust", he told African leaders.