President of the Republic of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, has called for sweeping reforms at the United Nations, urging the global body to embark on a “reset” as it marks 80 years since its establishment.

Addressing the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Thursday, 25 September 2025, President Mahama described the UN’s founding charter as outdated, stressing that the current structure of power no longer reflects today’s realities.

“The most powerful post-World War II nations are still being rewarded with an almost totalitarian guardianship over the rest of the world,” he stated.

He pointed out that although UN membership has nearly quadrupled since 1945, the Security Council remains skewed in favour of the original victors of World War II.

President Mahama strongly questioned Africa’s continued exclusion from permanent representation on the Council. Citing the UN Charter’s principle of sovereign equality, he argued that Africa’s size, population, and number of member states make its case undeniable.

“If this principle were truly applied, a continent as large as Africa, with its numerous member states, would already have at least one permanent seat on the Security Council,” he said.

Mahama also called for reforms to the veto system, insisting that no single nation should wield absolute power. He proposed a mechanism allowing the General Assembly to challenge vetoes to prevent unilateral decisions serving narrow national interests.

The Security Council currently has 15 members, including five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States — and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.