Russia calls for more global seats on UN Security Council

Russia’s deputy envoy to the UN has said the council’s setup should not “remind us of the colonial past”

Russia supports expanding the UN Security Council to include more countries, Russia’s deputy representative to the UN, Dmitry Polyansky, said on Sunday.

Speaking at the 7th Summit of the African Union Committee of Ten Heads of State and Government (C10) in New York, Polyansky stated that reforming the council is a top priority for Moscow, arguing that its composition “should reflect the multipolar nature of the world rather than remind us of the global colonial past”.

“We support the extension of the Council by including in it African, Asian and Latin American countries, since the representation thereof in the Council does not reflect anymore their increased role in the international affairs,” he added.

The AU’s Committee of Ten coordinates Africa’s position on Security Council reform and has long advocated for at least two permanent and two non-permanent African seats. Africa’s current non-permanent members are Algeria, Sierra Leone, and Somalia.

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He called for a “compact” council to preserve its ability to respond quickly to crises, and warned against increasing Western representation, which he said would undermine its balance.

Polyansky urged African countries not to accept “persuasion, promises, and compromises” from countries seeking to preserve “neocolonial dominance.” 

The envoy stressed that permanent members’ veto power must be maintained to keep decisions “balanced, realistic, and practical.” He also cautioned that UN reform must be accompanied by changes to global financial institutions to avoid “symbolic” outcomes that don’t address historical injustice toward Africa.

Polyansky went on to say that Russia will remain a “close and reliable partner” for African nations in building a fairer world order.

READ MORE: Africa must develop without relying on West – South African deputy president

Speaking to RT in January, South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile addressed global inequalities, including the structure of the UN Security Council. He called for Africa to have permanent representation, saying: “We can’t be spectators of the continent. We want to be there. We must sit around that table, not outside.”