NEW YORK — Liberia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sara Beysolow Nyanti, is calling for sweeping reforms at the United Nations, urging a break from the status quo and a system that ensures full global inclusivity — especially for Africa.
In an interview with GZERO Media’s John Haltwanger, Nyanti said it is time for the United Nations to reconfigure its governance structure to reflect modern realities and give Africa the voice it deserves. Her remarks come as Liberia campaigns for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council (UNSC), with elections scheduled for June 3, 2025.
“The time is right to reexamine and correct the flaws in the UN system,” Nyanti said. “Many African countries have long felt marginalized under a global governance model that is no longer fit for purpose.”
She noted that despite UN rhetoric about inclusivity and “leaving no one behind,” its power structures — established after World War II — fail to represent the interests of least-developed countries.
“Africa provides many of the world’s resources and plays a critical role in multilateralism,” Nyanti said. “You can’t have a rules-based world order that doesn’t include all of the world’s people. It needs to change.”
The UN was founded on Oct. 24, 1945, in San Francisco, and its Security Council held its first session on Jan. 17, 1946, in London. Today, Nyanti argues, that postwar framework no longer reflects current geopolitical dynamics.
Push for an African Voice
Speaking from New York, where she is leading Liberia’s delegation for the UNSC campaign, Nyanti said Africa gives far more to the world than it receives and is overdue for permanent representation on the council.
“I want to be part of a process that reviews the entire peacekeeping architecture,” she said. “The current systems, solutions and tools were created after World War II. They are outdated and ineffective in today’s world. We need a total overhaul.”
Nyanti emphasized that the UN must set the example for equity and accountability rather than allowing certain countries to act above the principles they expect others to uphold.
“The needs of countries in conflict and post-conflict recovery aren’t being met. It’s not just about having a seat at the table; it’s about action and accountability,” she said. “This conversation is beyond veto power for Africa. It’s about fixing the system.”
She criticized what she called a “skewed” UN framework where major powers dominate decision-making and often disregard the very rules they promote.
“There’s a power imbalance — the big get bigger, and the small get smaller,” Nyanti said. “Until that changes, there will always be resentment from underrepresented nations. We all need space at the table. If it’s not big enough, we must make it bigger.”
Who Represents Africa?
On the question of how Africa should be represented if granted permanent seats on the council, Nyanti deferred to the African Union.
“The African Union is the continent’s umbrella body. It should determine how Africa is represented at the UN,” she said.
Broad Political Support for Liberia’s Bid
Several Liberian senators are in New York to support the country’s bid for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council. The delegation includes Sen. Abraham Darius Dillon, chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations; Senate Pro Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence; and Bomi County Sens. Edwin Melvin Snowe and Alex J. Tyler.
Other members of the delegation include Sens. G. Wellington Smith (Rivercess County), Momo Cyrus and Joseph Jallah (Lofa County), Simeon Taylor (Grand Cape Mount), Zoe Emmanuel Pennue (Grand Gedeh), Gbleh-bo Brown (Maryland County), and Gbotoe Kanneh (Gbarpolu County).
Grand Bassa County Sen. Gbehzohngar Milton Findley recently met with Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye to lobby for his country’s vote, citing shared histories of post-conflict recovery.
A Look Back: UN’s Predecessor and Modern Failures
The call for reform also reflects deeper historical frustrations. The League of Nations, created after World War I in 1919, failed to prevent World War II due to its weak enforcement mechanisms. The United Nations, created in its aftermath, was intended to avoid a repeat of those failures.
However, Nyanti and other critics argue that despite its sophisticated structure, the UN has also fallen short. Veto-wielding powers such as the United States and Russia have been central actors in global conflicts, while millions continue to suffer in war-torn regions.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and prior U.S. military interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan have drawn sharp criticism of double standards and a lack of accountability at the UN.
While many countries are party to the International Criminal Court (ICC), the United States and other major powers have refused to join — yet continue to fund and influence ICC prosecutions elsewhere.
The June 3 Election: Liberia’s Moment
Liberia is set to contest for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council on June 3, 2025. If successful, it will be the latest in a series of African nations, including Sierra Leone, to take up the position and push for a stronger continental voice in international peace and security matters.
“Liberia is ready to serve,” Nyanti said. “But more importantly, Liberia is ready to speak truth to power — for itself, for Africa and for the reform the UN so desperately needs.”
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