During the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), President William Ruto of Kenya delivered a compelling address, criticizing the current structure of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as outdated, undemocratic, and in dire need of reform.
Highlighting numerous urgent global challenges, he called for decisive and transformative action on a variety of issues, including international security, economic disparity, and climate change.
Ruto strongly criticized the UNSC, labeling it as autocratic, unaccountable, and lacking transparency.
Report of the Secretary-General on the review of alternative modalities for the border crossing of Al Yarubiyah (S/2020/139)
Report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Security Council resolutions 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014), 2191 (2014), 2258 (2015), 2332 (2016), 2393 (2017), 2401(2018), 2449 (2018) and 2504 (2020) (S/2020/141)
He pointed out its exclusion of Africa’s 54 nations and 1.4 billion people, while allowing a single country to wield veto power over the decisions affecting all 193 member states.
“It is unacceptable for an institution to exclude 54 African countries while permitting one nation to block the will of the rest,” he asserted.
He urged for changes that would make the council more inclusive, transparent, and accountable, denouncing its current state as dysfunctional and opaque.
The Kenyan president expressed concern that the UNSC’s shortcomings have hindered its effectiveness in maintaining international peace and security.
He referenced ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Darfur, Yemen, and Haiti, highlighting how they have become arenas for armed groups and proxy wars.
Ruto warned that the rise of “unilateralism and militarization” is overshadowing necessary dialogue and diplomacy, calling for a complete overhaul of the UNSC to better align with the realities of the 21st century.
