President Bio Backs Africa’s UN Reform Drive at C-10 Summit

New York, 21 September 2025 At the 7th Summit of the African Union Committee of Ten (C-10) on United Nations Security Council Reform, Sierra Leone’s President Dr. Julius Maada Bio, in his capacity as Chair of ECOWAS and C-10 Coordinator, delivered a strong call for justice and equity in global governance.

Marking the 20th anniversary of the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration
Africa’s Common Position on Security Council reform
President Bio reaffirmed the continent’s demand for at least two permanent seats with full veto powers and two additional non-permanent seats on the UN’s highest decision-making body.

He reminded delegates that when the UN was established in 1945, Africa was excluded from representation, and to date remains the only continent without a permanent seat, despite being at the center of most Council deliberations.

“This was not a plea for favour. It was, and remains, a demand for justice to correct a historic wrong,” President Bio declared.

The summit, held at UN Headquarters in New York, convened leaders and high-level representatives from the ten C-10 member states Algeria, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Libya, Namibia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Zambia. Distinguished participants included Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, Chair of the African Union; Kenyan President William Ruto; Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah; and Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission.

President Bio commended Africa’s solidarity, stressing that no nation had broken ranks in two decades of advocacy. “Despite our diversity, Africa has remained steadfastly aligned behind a single, principled position. That unity is our strength. No reform can succeed without a united Africa,” he said.

He also highlighted key milestones such as the Freetown Retreat and the Lusaka Ministerial Meeting, which produced the African Union Reform Model an instrument designed to guide structured negotiations.

Closing his address, President Bio urged permanent members and other negotiators to match their recognition of Africa’s demand with genuine political will. “Africa’s demand is legitimate, non-negotiable, and just,” he insisted. “Equal representation for Africa is not only an African imperative, it is a global necessity.”