ADDIS ABABA, Oct 10: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has called for comprehensive reforms of the United Nations Security Council, asserting that India and Africa cannot continue to remain underrepresented in global decision making.
Addressing a gathering at the Adwa Victory Memorial Museum in Addis Ababa on Friday, Jaishankar said the existing international system failed to adequately represent the interests of both regions. He stressed that global governance must become more democratic, inclusive and representative.
“The current Council neither delivers effectively nor represents fairly. And the two shortcomings are clearly interconnected,” he said, advocating fair African representation in both permanent and non-permanent categories of the UN Security Council.
Jaishankar arrived in Ethiopia on Thursday from Cote d’Ivoire, marking the final leg of his three-nation African tour, which also included Ghana.
Highlighting India’s commitment to strengthening Africa’s position in international institutions, the minister recalled India’s efforts during its 2023 G20 presidency to secure permanent membership for the African Union in the grouping. He said similar efforts were necessary to ensure that Africa received appropriate representation in global decision-making bodies.
The UN Security Council comprises 15 members, including five permanent members China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States which possess veto powers. The remaining 10 members are elected for two year terms without veto rights.
Reform proposals seek to expand the Council and address longstanding concerns over the limited representation of emerging economies and developing regions, including India and Africa.
Jaishankar also underlined the growing economic relationship between India and the African continent, describing India as Africa’s fourth-largest trading partner. Bilateral trade between the two sides is approaching USD 100 billion, he said.
More than 220 Indian-supported development projects, involving investments of approximately USD 4.5 billion, have been completed across Africa. These initiatives reflect India’s approach of supporting locally identified priorities and strengthening the capacity of partner countries.
“Development is best served by self-reliance,” Jaishankar said, emphasising the importance of partnerships that promote sustainable economic progress rather than long-term dependence.
Referring to Ethiopia’s historic victory over Italian forces at the 1896 Battle of Adwa, he said the event inspired resistance against colonialism and racial domination across Africa and beyond. The struggle also resonated with India’s independence movement, as both were rooted in the pursuit of dignity, sovereignty and the freedom to determine their own future.
The Adwa Victory Memorial Museum commemorates the landmark battle, which became a powerful symbol of African resistance to colonial rule.
“The essential question remains: who gets to decide our future? This is the quest that brings the Global South, especially India and Africa, together,” Jaishankar said.
Tracing the historical connections between India and Africa, he noted that relations between the two regions extended back thousands of years, predating modern nation-states. The Indian Ocean facilitated trade, migration and the exchange of languages, cultural traditions and religious beliefs, creating enduring links between their societies.
He said the relationship must now move beyond historical solidarity towards a future-focused partnership centred on economic transformation and shared development goals.
India’s ambition to become a developed nation by 2047 and Africa’s Agenda 2063 provide complementary frameworks for progress, he said. Both sides are prioritising industrialisation, infrastructure development, connectivity, technological advancement, human capital and sustainable growth.
Jaishankar stressed that developing economies must have the opportunity to build their industrial capacities and compete fairly in international markets.
“Our right to industrialise must not be denied by flooding our markets with cheap goods. Nor indeed, by restricting our market access,” he said.
Encouraging Indian businesses to explore opportunities across Africa, he said Indian companies could contribute to local employment, increase value addition and strengthen domestic economies. Greater investment and industrial cooperation, he added, could help create jobs and expand productive capacity.
India’s development partnership with African countries is guided by the priorities identified by their respective governments, he said. Completed projects span electricity generation and transmission, drinking water, agriculture, railways, healthcare, manufacturing and public infrastructure.
Jaishankar highlighted several initiatives, including metro rail infrastructure in Mauritius, hydropower projects in Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and Burundi, drinking water pipelines in Tanzania, and electricity transmission lines in Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, Sudan and Benin.
He also called for closer cooperation in food security, warning that conflicts in other parts of the world were making grain and fertiliser supplies more difficult to access for Africa and other developing regions.
Against this backdrop, he said India and African countries should deepen collaboration in agricultural productivity, climate-resilient farming, food processing and value addition. Such efforts would help improve food availability, strengthen supply chains and make agricultural systems more resilient to external disruptions.
Jaishankar reiterated that future partnerships should focus on building domestic capabilities and enabling countries to achieve long-term economic independence.
“Partnerships of the future must help create capabilities, not promote dependencies,” he said.