Ghanaian President Mahama calls for UN Security Council reform — MyJoyOnline
Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, speaking at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, called for Africa to be granted permanent representation on the UN Security Council with the full range of rights, responsibilities and veto power. As MyJoyOnline reports, he described the absence of a permanent seat for Africa on the Security Council as unacceptable, given the continent's population and its weight in the General Assembly.
Mahama also called for reform of the international financial system. According to him, developing countries borrow funds at rates that can be up to eight times higher than those for industrialized states. The Ghanaian president stressed the need for affordable long-term concessional financing for human capital development, industrialization and adaptation to climate change.
Reparations and resource processing
The Ghanaian leader mentioned resolution A/RES/80/250, which, according to him, the country submitted to the UN General Assembly on March 25, 2026. He stated that 123 states voted to recognize the transatlantic slave trade and the enslavement of Africans as the gravest crimes against humanity. Mahama linked the consequences of this historical period to systemic racism, economic marginalization and inequality in the global financial architecture.
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The president stated that Africa is not seeking charity but demanding equal partnership. He stressed that the extraction of critical minerals must not repeat models of colonial exploitation: African countries, he said, must process resources at home, develop industry and create jobs.
Calls regarding conflicts and climate
Mahama condemned what he called collective punishment, forced starvation and mass displacement of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and the occupied territories. He reaffirmed Ghana's support for a sovereign Palestinian state and a two-state solution, while condemning the terrorist actions of Hamas, which, he said, triggered the current conflict. The president also called for the lifting of the long-standing economic, trade and financial embargo against Cuba and for a stronger response to the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
Separately, he stated that Africa produces less than 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions but suffers disproportionately from climate impacts. According to him, heavy rainfall in Ghana and coastal West Africa on June 29 caused 39 deaths, while one more person went missing. Mahama called on developed countries to meet their climate finance commitments and provide support in the form of grants rather than loans.
