UN peacekeeping in Africa: essential reads on what’s gone wrong and what can be done

The United Nations security council – the most powerful body of the UN – is the institution that is primarily responsible for maintaining international peace and security. But it’s facing a credibility crisis because of its failure to address the world’s biggest conflicts.

One arena in which it’s come under scrutiny is the way it represents Africa: poorly.

African countries number 54 of the 193 members of the UN and account for 17% of the world’s population. And in the last 30 years African issues took up nearly 50% of the security council’s meetings and 70% of its resolutions. But, as political scientist Sithembile Mbete points out, Africa is the only region without a permanent seat on the council.