By Lawrence Odoom/Phalonzy
Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has reignited calls for expanded African representation on the United Nations Security Council, cautioning that the continent’s persistent exclusion compromises both the credibility and efficacy of the global institution.
Addressing the fourth high-level meeting of the In Defence of Democracy Summit in Barcelona on Saturday, April 19, she underscored that substantive reform of global governance architecture can no longer be deferred.
“If we are serious about defending democracy, then reform of these institutions cannot be deferred. For Ghana, this includes a long-standing concern, the need to make the United Nations system, particularly the Security Council, more representative of contemporary realities. The absence of adequate African representation continues to affect both credibility and efficiency,” she said.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang further pressed for urgent recalibration of the global financial architecture to guarantee equitable and unhindered access to resources for developing nations.
She observed that entrenched structural asymmetries within the international economic order, compounded by escalating debt burdens, continue to constrict governments’ capacity to fulfill development imperatives and consolidate democratic dividends.
“Democratic legitimacy is also shaped by outcomes. Across much of the developing world, governments’ ability to deliver is constrained by structural factors, including limited access to affordable finance, debt burdens, and unequal terms of participation in the global economy,” she added.
According to the Vice President, redressing these systemic impediments is paramount to fortifying democratic institutions and rekindling public faith in governance, particularly across developing economies.