The Security Council must be expanded. Our continent deserves a place among the permanent members, said Shettima in a speech.
Attempts to reform the powerful Security Council have been ongoing for decades, including through Swedish diplomats' initiatives, but without success.
The five permanent members, the USA, Russia, China, France, and the UK, all have veto power in the Council. An additional ten member states are elected for two-year terms.
Growing demands are being heard again, particularly from countries in Africa and Latin America, as they believe the Council reflects an outdated worldview.
Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also demanded in his speech to the UN General Assembly that the Council be changed, as its composition is "an unacceptable echo of power exercised in a bygone colonial era".
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa is also among the strong advocates for a change.
