Germany backs call for permanent membership of Africa on Security Council

The German government has backed calls for the expansion of the UN Security Council (UNSC) to include a permanent slot for African countries to ensure broader representation.

The German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, who made the call, said negotiations to reform the council to make it more representative was long overdue. 

There had been calls by some African countries for reformation of the council to include one or more permanent seats for Africa.

Although the Africa continent has three elected members out of a total of 10 non-permanent seats, it does not have a permanent seat on the council.

Mr Scholz, therefore, urged countries who were participating in the negotiations for the reforms to step up efforts, saying, Africa’s interest could make a significant difference on the security council. 

Visit

The Chancellor was speaking when he led a delegation from Germany to visit the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra last Tuesday as part of his two-day visit to the country.

It formed part of the 20-year partnership between KAIPTC and the German government in advancing global peace and security.

The Chancellor was accompanied by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo; the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey; the Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, and the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.

Commitment to peace

Mr Scholz said the establishment of KAIPTC was a testament to Ghana’s commitment to the promotion of peace and stability in Africa.

“It is a clear priority of my government to assist you and other West African partners to maintain the prevailing stability existing in your countries and to also help counter threats posed by terrorists and criminals.

“We are prepared to further expand and refine our cooperation in this regard by liaising closely with you and your government,” he added.

Mr Scholz further said that both Ghana and Germany were staunch supporters of the international order in line with the UN Charter.

“If adherence to international law breaks down, peace, freedom and prosperity are at stake for all of us.

This means that we need to act with the same clarity and determination no matter where these principles come under attack.

“We must also fight terrorism targeting the people of the Sahel region and eliminate its root causes.

We must be clear in our condemnation of terrorist attacks because we live in times where peace is at risk in many places of the world and any effort to keep peace makes a big difference,” Mr  Scholz said. 

Establishment of KAIPTC

President Akufo-Addo also said that the establishment of the KAIPTC was a culmination of the cooperation between Ghana and Germany, and named after an iconic figure in modern times and a highly respected former Secretary-General of the UN, Kofi Annan.

Since its inception, he said, the centre had received worldwide recognition for its work and contribution to the promotion of peace on the continent and the world at large.

“Thousands of military, police and civilian personnel in its 18 years of existence have received training in various courses and are today playing significant roles to improve respect for individual liberties and human rights, enhance the enforcement of the rule of law and the principles of democratic accountability, including ensuring peace and stability in the nation,” President Akufo-Addo added.

He said through the Ministry of Finance, the government had supported the centre to complete its training and academic block which had offered additional training opportunities for participants and also ensured the rollout of additional academic programmes to meet international standards.

The President further said that peace was a bedrock of progress and the world was enjoined by Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)16 to promote a peaceful and inclusive society for sustainable development.