Mr. Raphael Godlobe Ahenu, an international activist and governance expert, has proposed that Africa boycott the 2027 United Nations General Assembly. He stated that if there is no measurable progress towards permanent African representation on the UN Security Council, Africa must use coordinated diplomacy to boycott the UN General Assembly. This proposal was made in a statement issued by Mr. Ahenu, who is also the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Global Media Foundation (GloMeF).
The 2027 General Assembly would be the UN's 82nd session, scheduled to open on September 7, 2027, with the general debate beginning on September 21. Mr. Ahenu's proposal comes as negotiations on Security Council reform enter a new phase, with the African Union pressing for at least two permanent seats and five non-permanent seats for Africa. The African Union's push for reform is aimed at giving Africa a greater voice in global governance.
Currently, the UN Security Council has 15 members, with five countries (China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States) being permanent members. The remaining 10 members are elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms, with the permanent members holding veto power over substantive Council decisions. Mr. Ahenu noted that Africa could, however, be elected to the Council's non-permanent seats.
In 2026, the African members of the UN Security Council were the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, and Somalia, serving alongside elected members from other regions. Mr. Ahenu argued that Africa must be at the table whenever decisions concerning Africa and the wider world are being made. He emphasized that after 80 years of the UN's existence, Africa should still not be asking whether it deserved a permanent voice in the institution's highest security decision-making body.
Mr. Ahenu noted that Africa occupied a significant place on the Council's peace and security agenda, with conflicts and political crises across the continent frequently appearing before the body. However, he pointed out that this creates a structural contradiction because Africa is frequently at the centre of international peace and security discussions, yet the continent is absent from the permanent architecture that determines those decisions.
Mr. Ahenu called on African governments to place Security Council reform higher on their foreign-policy agendas and develop a common diplomatic strategy. He asked the African Union (AU) to establish measurable benchmarks for progress, intensify engagement with the five permanent members, and broaden diplomatic support among other UN member states. Mr. Ahenu emphasized that Africa has 55 voices in the UN, and those voices must be coordinated around a common strategic objective.
Mr. Ahenu concluded that the world must understand that Africa's demand for permanent representation is not a request for political favour, but a demand for equality in global governance. He added that if Africa genuinely believes that its exclusion is a historical injustice, then African leaders must be prepared to attach diplomatic consequences to continued inaction.
Key points
- Mr. Ahenu proposes that Africa boycott the 2027 UN General Assembly if progress is not made on permanent African representation on the UN Security Council.
