The Haut Conseil de la Diplomatie Africaine (HCDA), created by experts in international relations and African diplomacy, is hosting a high-level conference in Brussels on January 29, 2027. The event aims to address the representation and influence of Africa within the United Nations Security Council. The HCDA seeks to correct the historical underrepresentation of the continent in international institutions. Africa, with over a quarter of the UN's member states and hosting over 80% of peacekeeping forces, lacks a permanent seat with veto power.
The HCDA's goal is to amplify the voice of African diplomacy, which is currently being stifled by threats to multilateralism. The conference will focus on the crucial issue of African underrepresentation at the UN Security Council. Despite comprising over a quarter of UN member states and dealing with the majority of crises addressed by the Security Council, no African country has a permanent seat with veto power. The HCDA aims to transform promises of multilateral reform into binding commitments.
The conference, themed "The Place of Africa at the UN Security Council: Representation, Influence, and New Governance," will feature two former foreign ministers, Mankeur Ndiaye of Senegal and Reine-Marie Hassen of the Central African Republic. The discussions will center on Africa's underrepresentation in the UN's most powerful decision-making body. The HCDA and attending diplomats aim to reiterate the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, which call for two permanent seats with veto power and two additional non-permanent seats for Africa.
The HCDA seeks to create a platform for dialogue between Africa, Europe, and the international community to contribute to a reform of the multilateral system. The conference will examine mechanisms to transform African participation into effective governance, capable of influencing global security, peacekeeping, and development policies. The event is a response to the reconfiguring of international alliances and the growing calls for a multipolar world.
The HCDA's initiative aims to build a more just, inclusive, and effective multilateral system. The conference will bring together diplomats, researchers, policymakers, and civil society representatives in Brussels to formulate concrete recommendations for reforming the Bretton Woods institutions and the UN. The challenge is significant, but achievable if stakeholders work together.
The underrepresentation of Africa in global governance is a pressing issue. The continent's absence from the decision-making circle is a historical anomaly that needs to be addressed. The HCDA's efforts aim to ensure that Africa's voice is heard and its interests represented in global decision-making.
The January 29 conference in Brussels will serve as a crucial platform for Africa to assert its demands for greater representation and influence in global governance. The HCDA's push for reform is part of a broader effort to create a more equitable and effective multilateral system.
Key points
- The HCDA conference aims to address Africa's underrepresentation in global governance by pushing for reforms to the UN Security Council.
