The African Leadership Centre (ALC) and the Nordic Africa Institute are pleased to invite you to an in-person Seminar
TITLE: “Uncertain Path(s) Ahead: African and Nordic Perspectives and UN Security Council Reform”
DATE: Wednesday, 11 December 2024
TIME: 17:30 (EAT)
VENUE: African Leadership Centre, 15 Jacaranda Avenue, off Gitanga road, Lavington, Nairobi.
OVERVIEW:
With the adoption of the UN Pact for the Summit, what are the prospects and implications for Security Council reform? This talk explores the path toward African permanent representation on the Council, and the lessons learned from decades of experiences of non-permanent member states. It will also examine the Nordic countries’ support for Africa’s calls for representation, including alignment with various reform proposals. The Nordic countries—Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden—have championed inclusive multilateralism, promoting equitable governance even as geopolitical tensions rise, often seeing themselves as key partners of African states. Building on research on African and Nordic tenures as elected states to the Council, the talk will highlight how multilateral-minded states navigate global shifts while prioritizing conflict resolution and management, and peacebuilding. The talk offers insights into the essential role of non-permanent members in shaping the UNSC's future effectiveness and inclusivity.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
- Dr Angela Muvumba Sellström, Senior Researcher at Nordic Africa Institute, Uppsala, Sweden (Visiting Scholar, ALC Nairobi)
She leads research on the United Nations (UN) Security Council, focusing on its elected member states. She has contributed to policy research in Africa, Sweden and internationally for over 20 years, specializing in Africa’s peace and security at institutions in New York, Cape Town, and Durban. She served in the Office of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (2004-2005). At Uppsala University’s Department of Peace and Conflict Research, she carried out multi-year research projects on conflict-related sexual violence and convened the Department’s postgraduate course on gender, war and peace. She was also Director of the department’s International Training Programme in Dialogue and Mediation (2018-2020), in cooperation with the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation. Dr Muvumba Sellström has been a member of the Swedish Women’s Mediation Network. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Life and Peace Institute (LPI) and is a non-resident fellow of the International Peace Institute (IPI).
Welcome remarks:
- Shuvai Nyoni, Executive Director of the African Leadership Centre (ALC)
Moderator:
- Dr Njoki Wamai,Assistant Professor in Politics and International Relations at USIU-A in Kenya
Respondent:
- Prof Paul Kamau, Director of Research & AR Professor Institute for Development Studies, University of Nairobi
Register Here for in-person/online attendance.
This seminar is held in collaboration with the Institute for Development Studies, University of Nairobi and the Department of International Relations, USIU.
