Egypt affirms its support for the unified African position.

Written by Ziad Abdel Fattah:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptians Abroad hosted a joint consultation session with the co-chairs of the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council Reform and Expansion (IGN), Ambassador Tarek El-Banani and Ambassador Lise Gregoire van Haren, Permanent Representatives of Kuwait and the Netherlands to the United Nations in New York, during their visit to Cairo.

During the visit, the two co-chairs met with Ambassador Mohamed Abu Bakr, Deputy Foreign Minister for African Affairs, who welcomed the visit of the two co-chairs to Cairo, stressing the Foreign Ministry’s keenness to consult and coordinate with them on the issue of reforming and expanding the Security Council in order to correct the historical injustice inflicted on Africa in terms of its lack of representation in the permanent seat category of the Security Council since the establishment of the United Nations in 1945.

The delegation met with Ambassador Amr El-Sherbiny, Assistant Foreign Minister for Multilateral Affairs and International Security, who represented the Egyptian side in the consultations with the two co-chairs, which addressed ways to advance the intergovernmental negotiations process during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Views were exchanged on Security Council reform and developments related to the negotiating track of the reform process, with both sides emphasizing the importance of inclusive dialogue and constructive engagement in the government negotiations.

In this context, Ambassador Amr El-Sherbiny stressed the importance Egypt attaches to the issue of reforming and expanding the Security Council, and Egypt’s support for the continued work of the Intergovernmental Negotiations Forum as the exclusive forum for negotiating the reform and expansion of the Security Council. He expressed appreciation for the efforts undertaken by the two co-chairs to facilitate the negotiations.

He also stressed Egypt’s full commitment to the unified African position based on the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, noting the African Union summit’s adoption in February 2026 of the African model for reforming and expanding the Security Council and its formal submission to the UN Intergovernmental Negotiations Forum, noting the efforts of the African Committee of Ten in this regard, and its endeavors to support and promote the unified African position.

For their part, the two co-chairs expressed their appreciation for the Egyptian role within the framework of the intergovernmental negotiations to reform and expand the Security Council, in light of Egypt’s regional weight and important role in the African continent and the Arab region, and its well-known support for the unified African position. They emphasized their aspiration to continue coordination and dialogue with Egypt regarding the efforts to reform and expand the Security Council.

At the end of the consultations, it was emphasized that consultation and coordination between the Egyptian side and the two co-chairs of the intergovernmental negotiations forum must continue, and that the efforts of the two co-chairs must be supported in a manner consistent with the parameters of the Egyptian position and the unified African position.