Assessing Africa's Emerging Influence in Global Governance: Opportunities and Challenges for Expanded Representation in the UN Security Council

Abstract

African states and the region as a whole have played important roles in the international system, including peacekeeping contributions, alliances, and a significant influence on global south-south cooperation. However, Africa has been faced with the challenge of underrepresentation in key global organizations due to its late entry as a result of colonialism. The quest for inclusion and proper representation in the United Nations (UN) Security Council has become a life-long pursuit for most African diplomats and heads of state. Thus, this article investigates the growth of Africa’s influence in the global system since the Cold War era. A transition that has revolved from simply being receivers of resolutions and directions from the global order to forming self-governing organisations and subsequently contesting the status quo. The central question is: does Africa have what it takes to get a permanent seat and equitable representation in the UN Security Council? The emergence of a united African agency in the international system has been a development that has given the region a voice in global affairs. Although individual states such as Ethiopia, Nigeria, and South Africa have made significant contributions to global governance, the focus remains on a united African agency and its ability to achieve full representation in global politics. To this the end, the goal of the entire assessment is to strengthen the argument for African representation in the United Nations Security Council—the most significant body in the world.