President Cyril Ramaphosa has said there is an urgent need to reform the UN Security Council so that it can fulfill its mandate credibly and effectively.

The president said it is unfair that Africa, with a population of 1.3 billion, does not have permanent representation on the UN Security Council.

President Ramaphosa was delivering his statement at the High Level Global Development Dialogue on the sidelines of the 2022 BRICS Leaders Summit, hosted by China on Friday.

“As like-minded emerging nations, we must move from a common vision of an emerging international order to a common agenda for change. We must commit to shaping our own institutions to support the growth and development of economies. emerging.

“Our vision has been to harness our common vision and resources to improve the lives of our people through mutually beneficial cooperation and to actively shape the world for the benefit of countries in the South,” he said.

The president called on the BRICS [Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa] to approach its cooperation in a spirit of openness and solidarity, with the genuine intention of finding mutual interests and building common values.

“We have the potential to leverage our combined economic strength to drive a sustainable global economic recovery.

“It is up to us, as emerging and developing economies, to place the countries of the South on a new trajectory of progress, prosperity and self-reliance and to shape an inclusive and equitable international order,” said the President.

He said it is an opportunity to move from solidarity to collective action for the benefit of all people in the country.

The President further expressed his sincere gratitude to the BRICS Chairman for continuing the bloc’s tradition of meaningful engagement with emerging markets and like-minded developing economies.

“We all share the desire for increased representation and a progressive perspective in institutions of global governance. We share a common history of struggle against imperialism, colonialism, exploitation and continued underdevelopment.

“Our bonds of solidarity were forged at the Bandung Conference in 1955, which resulted in the formation of the Non-Aligned Movement,” he said.

President Ramaphosa stressed that the summit remains the model of South-South cooperation and solidarity.

Less than a decade ago, the President said the world had come together in a historic decision on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“We recognized that eradicating poverty was the greatest global challenge of our time. We committed to a common agenda for humanity that would enable us to collectively fight climate change, conflict, poverty and insecurity,” the president said.

Promote international peace and security

The President pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed the interdependence and exposed the common vulnerability of countries.

He added that the conflict in Ukraine has revealed flaws in the international order.

“Pressing global issues like COVID-19, poverty, inequality, climate change and the broader sustainable development agenda have been overshadowed by the conflict.

“We must safeguard the principle of multilateralism. We need a United Nations Organization fit for purpose and clear in its benefits for all humanity, especially in times of insecurity and crisis,” the President said. .

President Ramaphosa called on nations to promote international peace and security by advocating for inclusive dialogue and the peaceful settlement of disputes.

(With contributions from the South African government press release)