Keypoints:
- France urges African inclusion in UN Security Council
- Supports limiting veto power in mass atrocity cases
- Calls for stronger multilateral action on Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine
FRANCE has reiterated its support for reforming the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to give African nations a greater say in global peace and security decisions.
Speaking during a UN open debate on multilateralism on July 22, France’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Jérôme Bonnafont, said the world body must evolve to reflect contemporary geopolitical realities.
‘The upsurge in conflicts is becoming an entrenched trend, and with it the temptation to resort to unilateralism,’ Bonnafont said during the session chaired by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar.
‘The resolution we have just adopted unanimously reaffirms our commitment to multilateralism and to the peaceful settlement of disputes. Multilateralism is not just a word—it is a method. It means consultation, organisation, and control of rivalries, rather than the rule of the fittest in the defence of national interests.’
Africa must have a greater role
Bonnafont stressed that reform of the Security Council is necessary to ensure it reflects today’s world and gives Africa the representation it deserves.
‘France believes that African countries must have a stronger voice within the Security Council, including among its permanent members,’ he said, adding that reforms are a core part of the UN’s 80th anniversary agenda under Secretary-General António Guterres.
Bonnafont also expressed concern that the Security Council has failed to act decisively in the face of global crises, particularly in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan. ‘The international community does not accept that our Council remains deadlocked,’ he said.
Regulating veto power in atrocity cases
France, alongside Mexico, has been pushing an initiative since 2015 to voluntarily restrict the use of the veto in situations involving mass atrocities. The initiative has so far been supported by 107 UN member states.
‘The Council must not be paralysed in the face of mass atrocities,’ Bonnafont said, urging fellow permanent members to uphold their moral and legal responsibilities.
He called on the Council to act urgently to help restore peace in Sudan, where conflict has displaced millions and devastated communities.
Rule of law and the ICJ
France also underlined the importance of international legal institutions in supporting peaceful dispute resolution. Bonnafont praised the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its role in both contentious and advisory proceedings.
‘The international community must remain mobilised to ensure respect for international law,’ he said. ‘Upholding international humanitarian and human rights law—which have been dangerously flouted in recent times—is one of the cornerstones of conflict prevention and resolution.’
The call for UN reform comes amid increasing global momentum to modernise the Security Council and broaden its membership to reflect the realities of a multipolar world. African countries, which make up more than a quarter of UN member states, have long argued for more influence within the organisation’s top decision-making body.
