As a UN Security Council member, Sierra Leone will promote peace, security and good governance in Africa.

What is the significance of this achievement for your country, but also for Africa?

Today marks a momentous day for Sierra Leone. We are returning to the UN Security Council in the non-permanent category after 53 years. Being voted for by 188 countries [there are 193 UN member states] is a demonstration of the respect for Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone is no longer defined by its troubled past. Today we are considered a liberal, progressive, confident and enterprising nation.

As you know Sierra Leone is the Chair of the African Union Committee of 10 (C-10) for the reform of the UN Security Council. Algeria, another C-10 member, was today also elected to the non-permanent category of the Security Council. This means that in 2024 and 2025, two C-10 members will amplify our collective voice to promote and defend the common African position for the reform of the UN Security Council.

What factors have contributed to your lengthy absence from the UN Security Council, and how were you able to get back in?

Sierra Leone's absence can be attributed to several factors, including a difficult period marked by a brutal civil war, bad governance and near-state failure.

When you are in a period of bad governance, inefficient political and economic management of the state and civil war, you don't have time to come to the UN Security Council. Nobody will vote for you because they will not respect you.

However, the country was able to regain its position through a series of positive developments. The interventions of the UN and the West African peacekeeping force, ECOMOG, played a crucial role in helping Sierra Leone recover from the civil war and rebuild itself.

We transitioned from war to peace, on a path towards democratic consolidation. We are now regarded as a successful case of post-war peacebuilding and state reconstruction.

In 2018, Sierra Leone was ranked as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. However, through focused efforts, Sierra Leone managed to improve its score on the Millennium Challenge Corporation's Control of Corruption index, from 49% in 2018 to 83%, in 2022.

As the Foreign Minister, I mobilized our diplomatic missions, particularly in New York, Geneva, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, and Abuja, to advocate for and secure the seat on the UN Security Council. This effort was challenging, especially considering that Nigeria was also vying for the position. However, Nigeria, under the leadership of former President Mohammadu Buhari...