President William Ruto has called for reforms to the United Nations Security Council to give Africa permanent representation in decisions on global peace and security.
Speaking at the Kenya–EU Partnership for Multilateralism Summit on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 22, Ruto said Africa could not remain without a permanent seat in the institution.
“Africa cannot remain the only continent without permanent representation in the institution entrusted with international peace and security,” Ruto said.
Ruto Explains Why Africa Should Be a Permanent UN Member
He noted that Africa, comprising 54 countries and more than 1.4 billion people, remained on the margins of decisions central to global peace and security.
Ruto said reform of the UN Security Council was necessary not only to promote fairness but also to strengthen the legitimacy of international institutions.
“This is not simply about fairness; it is about legitimacy. Institutions that do not reflect the people whose cooperation they require will eventually struggle to command their trust,” he said.
The UN Security Council has 15 member states, including five permanent members and 10 non-permanent members elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms.
The permanent members are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Additionally, the 10 current non-permanent members are Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Greece, Latvia, Liberia, Pakistan, Panama and Somalia.
Five of the members have terms ending in 2027, while the other five will complete their terms in 2026.
More than 50 UN member states have never served on the Security Council, according to the United Nations.
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High Debt Costs
The President also used his engagements in New York to call for greater financing to help African countries turn climate commitments into investment, jobs, stronger economies and resilience.
Ruto said the world did not lack climate pledges but was falling short on delivery, with financing remaining a major constraint.
He urged countries to honor climate adaptation commitments as climate impacts intensify across Africa, while calling for reforms to lower Africa’s cost of capital, expand guarantees and risk-sharing mechanisms, and enable countries to mobilize more domestic resources.
High debt costs, he said, were limiting government spending on jobs, education, healthcare and infrastructure, making it necessary for African countries to strengthen their ability to raise domestic revenue rather than rely heavily on borrowing.
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Safeguard For Children
During a series of high-level engagements at the UN, Ruto also called for stronger safeguards to protect children as artificial intelligence (AI) transforms how they learn, create and connect online.
He said children should not have to choose between being connected and being safe, urging technology developers to make safety a core part of digital tools from the outset.
As a founding member of the Coalition for Children’s Rights and Protection in the Age of AI, Ruto said Kenya was advancing measures to strengthen online protection for children through laws, policies and its National AI Strategy.
He added that the government was conducting a national dialogue bringing together children, families, educators, technology companies and government officials to address online safety.
“No child should have to choose between being connected and being safe. As AI transforms how children learn, create and connect, safety must be built into technology from the beginning,” Ruto said.
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