Hot SourcePresident John Dramani Mahama, has urged the United Nations to undergo a comprehensive “reset” to reflect modern realities, calling out the organisation’s outdated structures and the unfair distribution of power that continues to marginalise Africa.
Addressing the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, President Mahama traced the continent’s minimal role in the founding of both the League of Nations and the United Nations, highlighting that only a handful of African countries participated in these pivotal processes.
“Out of the 51 member states involved in the founding of the United Nations in 1945, only four were African: Egypt, Ethiopia, Liberia, and South Africa,” he said. “The majority of Africa’s 54 nations were never offered a seat at the table where plans for a new world order were being drawn.”
Mahama contrasted this historical exclusion with Africa’s growing importance in the modern world, noting that by 2050, more than 25% of the world’s population and one-third of all young people aged 15 to 24 will reside on the continent.
“Africa is a catalyst for systemic change,” Mahama said. “If this reality seems provocative, perhaps it is because it challenges centuries of colonialism, racism, and implicit bias. Africa is resilient, and its voice cannot be ignored any longer.”
The Ghanaian leader also took the opportunity to highlight his government’s achievements since assuming office in January 2025 for a non-consecutive second term. Under his “reset agenda,” inflation in Ghana has dropped from 23.8% in December 2024 to 11.5% in August 2025, while the cedi has appreciated markedly against other major currencies.
“These economic gains, alongside improved sovereign credit ratings and initiatives like the 24-Hour Economy Programme, reflect Ghana’s determination to recalibrate its economic foundation and compete globally,” he said.
Mahama criticised the UN’s current decision-making structures, particularly the Security Council, calling for reforms to ensure true representation and equality. He argued that Africa, with its 54 member states, deserves a permanent seat on the Council, with veto powers shared more equitably among nations.
“The first sentence in Chapter 2, Article 1 of the UN Charter declares that the organisation is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its members. If this were truly the case, Africa would not be excluded from permanent Security Council representation,” he stated.
He also pressed for broader reforms of the global financial system, which he described as skewed against Africa, and called for an end to the U.S.-led blockade of Cuba, acknowledging the Caribbean nation’s historic support for African liberation struggles.
On pressing global crises, President Mahama condemned ongoing violence in Gaza, urging the international community to halt what he described as collective punishment of Palestinian civilians. He also highlighted the humanitarian disaster in Sudan, with 12 million people displaced, and drew attention to the disproportionate impact of climate change on the Global South.
“Many of those fleeing deserts and uninhabitable villages are climate refugees,” he said. “The Global North emits 75% more greenhouse gases than the Global South, yet it is our people who suffer the consequences.”
Mahama concluded with a plea for renewed global solidarity, warning against normalising cruelty, hatred, and inequity. “The United Nations is the proverbial town square of our global village,” he said. “We must protect this space and ensure it reflects the diversity, equity, and justice that it was founded to uphold.”
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