The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, on Tuesday urged the United Nations (UN) to grant Africa, especially Nigeria, a permanent seat on the Security Council.
Representing Nigeria at the Heads of Parliaments meeting at the United Nations Headquarters in the United States, ahead of the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Geneva, Switzerland, in July—under the auspices of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)—Hon. Kalu also emphasized the need to redefine multilateralism to address the pressing concerns of developing countries.
He argued that the current multilateral approach is dominated by the Global North, leaving the Global South to grapple with significant developmental challenges.
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According to reports, multilateralism refers to the practice of multiple countries working together to address common challenges, promote shared interests, and establish global standards. This approach involves cooperation among three or more nations, often through established institutions such as the United Nations, to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.
Essentially, multilateralism unlike bilateralism provides a framework for countries to collaborate on global issues such as climate change, economic development, and human rights.
Speaking on “Challenges Faced by Countries in the World and How Parliaments Can Help Ameliorate Them Through Multilateralism,” Kalu, at a meeting attended by global parliamentary leaders, advocated for increased representation of developing nations in decision-making processes, ensuring that discussions address their unique challenges.
Using the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as an example, the Deputy Speaker noted that while these goals aim to tackle global issues, they may not align with the priorities of developing nations, which are still striving for industrialization and economic growth.
Advancing Nigeria’s position on the matter, Kalu emphasized the need to amplify the voices of the Global South in decision-making spaces to ensure that multilateral aspirations are truly global.
He stated:
“We need to define what we aim to achieve with multilateralism. The current dynamics of multilateralism are driven by the Global North, while the Global South faces pressing developmental issues.
“In Nigeria, we have a saying: ‘You cannot shave a man’s head in his absence.’ If we want developing countries to embrace multilateralism, they must be given more seats in the rooms where developmental conversations take place. Discussions should be tailored to recognize and address their challenges.”
“Take the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), for example. We have only five years left to achieve them. While these goals were designed to address global issues, a critical assessment reveals that many of them do not align with the immediate priorities of developing nations, which are yet to overcome hurdles in industrialization and economic growth. Expecting these countries to fully embrace aspirational SDG targets without considering their unique challenges may be unrealistic.”
“We must redefine what we seek to achieve through multilateralism and broaden participation to include more voices from the Global South so that our collective aspirations are genuinely global.”
Further elaborating on his points after the meeting, Hon. Kalu emphasized that multilateralism would remain a theoretical concept if the principles of inclusivity and cooperation were not upheld.
“I was addressing presiding officers from across the world who gathered for this preparatory meeting ahead of the World Conference of Speakers in July. This marks our third meeting,” he said.
“I reminded them that the concept of multilateralism will remain theoretical unless it is shaped by the principles that should guide it—principles of inclusivity and cooperation.”
“The ultimate goal should be global peace and prosperity. To achieve that, these guiding principles must be upheld at the highest level. However, a critical analysis of how multilateralism has been practiced shows a lack of equality. The Global South, which includes Africa, is not treated as an equal player when it comes to shaping global policies that benefit the world.”
“If we examine it further, it becomes evident that inclusivity is crucial to multilateralism. Currently, Africa does not have a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. If we truly advocate for multilateralism, it is time to discuss amending Article 108 of the UN Charter to grant Africa greater representation.”
“Multilateralism should pursue goals tailored to different regions. Africa, burdened by longstanding debts, cannot be expected to meet SDG targets at the same pace as other continents. These were some of the key issues I raised with parliamentary leaders at this UN conference in New York,” Nigeria’s Deputy Speaker stated.
