From Business Standard.

Africa should get two seats on the U.N. Security Council, one permanent and one non-permanent, a South African minister of foreign relations says.

The 15-member U.N. Security Council is tasked with maintaining international peace and security. China, France, Russia, Britain and the U.S. are the five permanent members and they have veto power. There are also 10 non-permanent members, with five elected each year to serve two-year terms.

Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, South Africa’s minister of  international relations, told delegates at a business briefing breakfast organized by a daily South Afrian newspaper that the time had come for Africa to get two seats.

“There is no region in the world whose agenda is (more) solidly on the reform of the Security Council than Africa,” Nkoana-Mashabane said. “At every A.U. summit there is a standing agenda item on the U.N. reform where the committee reports to us. Those outside the continent agree that when reform comes, Africa must get two seats.”

Read more at Business Standard.