President John Dramani Mahama has told world leaders gathered at the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) that Africa’s time to shape global affairs has arrived.
He, therefore, urged bold reforms of international institutions to reflect the continent’s growing demographic and economic weight.
Delivering Ghana’s statement at the Assembly yesterday, President Mahama reminded delegates that when the UN was founded in 1945, only four African countries—Egypt, Ethiopia, Liberia and South Africa—were represented.
“Today, Africa is home to 54 UN member states and is poised to play a decisive role in shaping the future.
“By 2050, more than 25 per cent of the world’s population will be African, and one-third of all young people will reside on the continent. So, you see, the future is African. Allow me to say this once again, a little louder for the people in the back: the future is African!.” he declared to loud applause.
According to President Mahama, the UN’s founding charter is outdated and discriminated against Africa when it comes to representation.
“The most powerful post-World War 2 nations are still being rewarded with an almost totalitarian guardianship over the rest of the world. And yet, 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, a continent as large as Africa with its numerous UN Member states would have at least one permanent seat on the Security Council.
“Furthermore, veto power should not be restricted to five nations nor should it be absolute. There must be a mechanism for the General Assembly to challenge a veto. No single nation should be able to exercise an absolute veto to serve its own interests in a conflict,” President Mahama stated.
The time for Africa to be given a permanent seat on the Security Council, President Mahama said was now recounting how the call for that seat started three decades ago.
“So, today, Madam President, I stand here in this exact spot, asking: if not now, then when?” he asked.
He said Africa is a resilient continent citing Ghana’s own economic rebound to buttress the resilience of the continent.
Since taking office in January for a second, non-consecutive term, he said, inflation had dropped from 23.8 per cent in December 2024 to 11.5 per cent by August 2025, while the cedi emerged as one of the world’s best-performing currencies.
“Our reset agenda has restored stability and renewed trust among our people. The UN must also embark on its own reset,” he urged.
He also called for a reset of the global financial architecture, which he said was “rigged against Africa,” and demanded reparations for the transatlantic slave trade and colonial exploitation.
“We must demand reparations for the enslavement of our people and the looting of our heritage. Our colonisers once compensated slave owners for the loss of their ‘property’. It is time Africa was compensated too,” he stated.
On global conflicts, he condemned the ongoing war in Gaza, likening it to “a duck” that cannot be disguised.
“If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it must be a duck. The crimes in Gaza must stop,” he said, adding that a two-state solution was the only path to peace.
He described the crisis in Sudan as the world’s largest humanitarian disaster, with 12 million displaced, and urged the same urgency shown to Ukrainian refugees.
He also highlighted the plight of climate refugees from the Global South, noting that although Africa emits less carbon, it suffers the harshest impacts.
President Mahama further warned against rising xenophobia and racism, insisting that migrants must be recognised for their contributions.
He cited examples such as Ghanaian-born Peter Bossman, Slovenia’s first black mayor, and the late Kofi Annan, who became UN Secretary-General.
Turning to Africa’s natural resources, he called for a new era of ownership saying that “The days of parcelling out vast concessions to foreign interests must end. We welcome investment, but we must negotiate better for a fair share of what is ours.”
The President congratulated Ghana’s first female Vice-President, Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, and urged the UN to appoint a woman Secretary-General in the future.
“Words matter, but representation matters even more,” he said.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
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