The African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson, Mahmoud Youssouf, on Tuesday reaffirmed Africa’s commitment to multilateralism and the international rule of law.

Mr Youssouf disclosed this during the high-level UN Security Council public debate in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, centred on Africa’s reaffirmation of the international rule of law: a path to revitalise peace, justice and multilateralism.

According to him, Africa knows from experience that global challenges, conflict, climate change, terrorism, pandemics and poverty cannot be solved by any state acting alone.

He reiterated that international law must be applied with historical awareness, including legacies of colonialism and persistent structural inequalities.

He further underscored Africa’s commitment to ensuring sustainable peace, saying such should be concrete amidst fundamental injustice.

He stated, “From troop contributions and sacrifices on the ground to increased use of legal mechanisms over force and a strengthened UN-AU partnership under Resolution 2719.

“Eighty years after the UN’s creation, Africa, with its 1.4 billion people and 55 states, still has no permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

“This is not just unfair to Africa; it weakens the council’s credibility.”

The chairperson mentioned that Africa’s united demand remained clear for permanent representation with full prerogatives, equity, effectiveness and historical correction. 

(NAN)