John Mahama calls for urgent UN Security Council reforms at Munich Security Conference

President John Dramani Mahama has renewed calls for urgent reforms in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), describing its current structure as outdated and unrepresentative of global realities.

Speaking at the 2025 Munich Security Conference in Germany on February 14, Mahama criticized the Council’s inability to adapt to modern geopolitical shifts, stressing that its composition remains “static, archaic, and moribund.”

He emphasized the need for structural changes, particularly expanding permanent membership to ensure more inclusive representation. “The UN itself has carried out many reforms to improve efficiencies, but one place that has remained unchanged is the Security Council,” he stated.

Mahama also dismissed concerns that the veto power of existing permanent members should obstruct reforms. “The veto should not be a stumbling block to adding new permanent members to the Security Council,” he said, reinforcing the need for a more equitable global governance system.

Beyond reforms within the UN, Mahama called for stronger collaboration between the UN and African regional organizations to enhance peace, security, and economic development. He stressed that as the world becomes increasingly fragmented, multilateralism and global cooperation are more critical than ever.

“The UN is even more relevant today in a fragmented world. When fragmentation increases, we need more multilateralism and global cooperation,” he noted.