Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera has called for urgent reforms to the United Nations and multilateral institutions to secure equal representation for Africa. Speaking at the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Chakwera urged the UN to democratize its Security Council by granting Africa two permanent seats with veto power.
Chakwera argued that the UN’s lack of internal democracy weakens its influence, noting that calls for democratic governance in member states are being ignored because of the imbalance in the UN’s own structure.
The President also highlighted the escalating debt burden in developing countries like Malawi, attributing it to unfulfilled climate financing commitments. He warned that the debt crisis, if unaddressed, poses a serious threat to global economic stability, calling for immediate debt relief from wealthier nations.
Chakwera further addressed the need for stronger governance to regulate access to resources, markets, and technology, particularly in an era shaped by artificial intelligence. He called for reforms to ensure global systems foster fair competition and do not marginalize any nations.
He also touched on the principles of fair competition in international sports, arguing that current structures are skewed and need to be revised to prevent any unfair disadvantages for certain countries.
