African United Nations (UN) members on Monday demanded two permanent seats on the Security Council and the abolition of the veto, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres backing the call as the council met to discuss enhancing Africa's effective representation and other reforms.
The council, currently chaired by Sierra Leone, held a special high-level meeting to address the need to rectify its current structure and tackle Africa's historical marginalization.
During the meeting, Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio urged the Security Council to ensure that Africa's voice is heard, emphasizing that the continent can no longer wait for these reforms.
"Africa demands two permanent seats in the UN Security Council and two additional non-permanent seats, bringing the total number of non-permanent seats to five. The African Union will choose the African permanent members. Africa wants the veto abolished. However, if UN member states wish to retain the veto, it must be extended to all new permanent members as a matter of justice," said Bio in the meeting.
Guterres, the UN chief, noted that the Security Council has been a bedrock of global peace and security since 1945, but the cracks in its foundation are increasingly widening. He voiced his support for the call to enhance Africa's effective representation in the Security Council to ensure its credibility and legitimacy.
"We cannot accept that the world's preeminent peace and security body lacks a permanent voice for a continent of over a billion people -- a young and rapidly growing population -- making up 28 percent of the membership of the United Nations. Nor can we accept that Africa's views are undervalued on questions of peace and security, both on the continent and around the world," said Guterres.
African nations demand two permanent seats on Security Council, calling for abolition of veto
Long-standing challenges in Mexico's automotive industry have been exacerbated with the implementation of the U.S. tariff on imported cars, which took effect Thursday, fueling uncertainty and job losses.
Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 25 percent tariff on all imported automobiles.
Ciudad Juarez, one of Mexico's largest trade ports and a key manufacturing hub, is now facing even greater challenges as rising trade protectionism deepens existing pressures.
At a medal parts manufacturing factory that has been in operation for over 30 years, the workforce has drastically reduced from 60 workers to just 25 due to uncertainty about the future.
Even before the U.S. tariffs on imported cars took effect, mounting pressure had already begun to ripple through the industry, prompting many companies to suspend investment and procurement plans.
"Some 95 percent of the products exported from Chihuahua, where Ciudad Juarez is located, are industrial manufactured goods. We have held multiple meetings to discuss solutions. In fact, over the past year and a half, more than 55,000 factory workers here in the city have lost their jobs," said the owner of the factory.
The automotive industry is a key pillar of Mexico's economy, generating nearly 100 billion U.S. dollars in output. The auto parts assembly industry alone provides over 900,000 jobs for the country, while automotive assembly companies create 175,000 jobs.
According to statistics from the Mexican Association of Automotive Dealers (AMDA), over 40 percent of the components used by American auto manufacturers are imported from Mexico. Last year, Mexico produced four million cars, approximately three million of which were exported to the U.S.
Industry insiders indicate that due to the high degree of interdependence in the sector between the U.S. and Mexico, along with a shortage of skilled labor, the U.S. goal of bringing automotive manufacturing back to its shores through tariffs is unlikely to be realized in the short term.
Moreover, the established industrial chain in Mexico faces the risk of being disrupted, which will ultimately have repercussions on consumer spending and further exacerbate inflation in the long run.
"Young people from the U.S. are no longer willing to work in the manufacturing sector. I believe there will be no growth in the relocation of automotive parts and vehicles factories in the short term," said Guillermo Rosales Zarate, ADMA's executive president.
"Personally, I hope this avalanche of tariffs doesn't continue; otherwise, it will lead to more significant issues affecting the U.S. economy. If these tariffs remain in place long-term, it will be the American people who suffer the most," said Ricardo Ramos, a professor with the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez.
U.S. automotive tariffs deepen industry pressures, halt investments in Mexico
