Act two of the series "The Vision in 3 Acts". After peace through development, President Macky Sall turns to Pillar II of his vision: renewing multilateralism. The premise fits in one sentence. A new world cannot be governed by old institutions.
The numbers speak for themselves. The Security Council was designed in 1945 for 51 nations. The world now counts 193 Member States. Africa is home to 1.4 billion people. It has held zero permanent seats in 80 years. For President Macky Sall, this anomaly weakens the legitimacy of the Council's decisions and trust in the Organization as a whole.
His answer avoids posturing. The vision advocates a "realistic and consensus-based" reform of the Security Council. It seeks fairer representation of the world's regions, starting with Africa. It favours patient negotiation over declarations without follow-through. The goal is to bring Member States' positions closer, not to entrench them.
Renewing multilateralism goes beyond the Council. Pillar II calls for reform of the international financial architecture. The IMF, the World Bank, sovereign debt treatment and climate finance must respond better to the needs of developing countries. A renewed multilateralism also opens its doors to civil society, the private sector and youth, as full partners in solutions.
On this ground, President Macky Sall has already delivered. As Chairperson of the African Union in 2022, he led the advocacy for the AU's admission to the G20. That seat was secured in 2023. An entire continental organization joined the table of the world's major economies. The method proved itself: conviction, constancy, coalition-building.
"Trust is built through constancy, fairness and efficiency," says President Macky Sall. His career shows that reforms deemed impossible become reality when pursued with method. Final act of the series next week: a UN that works. Follow it on www.mackysall.net.