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Ghana Foreign Minister Nana Addo Akufo-Addo said Africa will look at new ways of collaborating with India for expanding the UN Security Council (UNSC) and said he hoped that “the forthcoming AU summit at Banjul will give a new push to that."

Akufo-Addo is a key African leader involved in creating AU consensus on Security Council expansion will meet African heads of state and governments in a weeklong 53-nation meet this week.

Akufo-Addo, known for his generous contribution to the ruling party and an array of philanthropic projects, is convinced that it is no longer possible for major powers to skirt the issue of Security Council expansion saying that the UNSC “is not reflective of the global realities of today.” He stressed that the AU was trying hard to evolve a consensus on the issue, but there were still divisions and differences.

Most of the continents are divided on the issue of UNSC expansion and not just Africa. Africa wants two permanent seats with veto powers in an expanded Security Council whereas the G4 grouping comprising India, Germany, Brazil and Japan presented a proposal in the General Assembly for 6 permanent seats with no immediate veto powers and four extra non-permanent seats. Last year, the AU came close to supporting a joint plan with the G4, but the understanding was not endorsed by the AU summit at Addis Ababa. A compromise deal is being planned to present a joint resolution that would propose six permanent seats with no immediate veto powers and five non-permanent seats. If the AU supports a joint plan with the G4, the UNSC expansion will get the necessary momentum stalled because of lack of support from current so-called permanent members. The resolution needs 128 votes to pass muster in the 191-member General Assembly.

China supports Brazil, opposes Japan, and its position on India is not completely known. The US supports Japan but opposes Germany and its position on India and Brazil is not clear. Russia, France, and the UK have supported India and Japan but their position on Brazil is unclear.