AN-africa
Twenty-one years after the Sirte Summit consolidated Africa’s common position on reforming the United Nations Security Council, Libya has once again become a focal point in this process by hosting the 14th Ministerial Meeting of the African Union Committee of Ten (C-10) on Security Council reform in Tripoli on Sunday, October 11, 2026.
The meeting provided an opportunity to exchange views on the latest developments in the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) on Security Council reform and assess diplomatic efforts to build international support for the Common African Position. Participants stressed the importance of continued coordination and consultation among C-10 member states and maintaining a united African position throughout the negotiation process.
The political framework underpinning these demands dates back to 2005, when the African Union adopted the Ezulwini Consensus in March, followed by the Sirte Declaration in July of the same year. The two milestones consolidated Africa’s longstanding demands and established a shared political framework that African states continue to advance in international forums.
Under the Common African Position, Africa calls for no fewer than two permanent seats on the Security Council, with all the prerogatives and privileges of permanent membership, including the right of veto for as long as it remains in existence, alongside five non-permanent seats. The position also stipulates that the African Union reserves the right to select the continent’s representatives for election to the Council. These demands seek to address what African states describe as a historical injustice in global governance, given that no African country currently holds a permanent seat on the Security Council.
At the conclusion of the meeting, participants adopted the “Tripoli Document,” according to the account provided by the Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The meeting reaffirmed the Common African Position and underscored the importance of sustained diplomatic engagement to mobilize broader international support for the continent’s demands.
From Sirte in 2005 to Tripoli in 2026, Security Council reform remains a longstanding priority on Africa’s diplomatic agenda. Despite the African Union’s unified position, intergovernmental negotiations continue to face divergent views among UN member states over the Council’s expansion and the question of veto powers, reflecting the continuing influence of the geopolitical order established after the Second World War.
