President William Ruto has challenged the United Nations to overhaul the structure of its Security Council, saying Africa cannot continue to be left out of permanent decision-making despite accounting for more than a quarter of the UN General Assembly.
Ruto said the imbalance is reflected in a system where five countries have permanent powers while the other 188 UN member states do not enjoy the same status.
“Five nations possess a permanent power that the other 188 do not,” Ruto said.
He spoke in New York on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, while addressing the 81st United Nations General Assembly, where he pressed for a Security Council that better reflects the current global order.
The President said the arrangement was shaped by circumstances that existed when the United Nations was established in 1945 but has not kept pace with changes in the world.
“That imbalance might have reflected the world of 1945. It does not reflect the world that we know today,” he said.
Africa left without permanent voice
Ruto said the exclusion of Africa from the permanent membership of the Security Council is difficult to reconcile with the continent’s presence within the wider UN system.
Africa has 54 UN member states, representing more than a quarter of the General Assembly, but none holds a permanent seat on the Security Council.
“Africa has 54 member states, more than a quarter of this assembly, yet no permanent voice in the body entrusted with a primary responsibility of international peace and security,” he said.
He said the continent is regularly affected by matters considered by the council despite not having a permanent position in its membership.
“We are frequently the subject of its decisions. Permanently discussed yet permanently excluded,” Ruto said.
The Security Council has 15 members, five of whom hold permanent seats and veto powers. They are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The other 10 members are elected by the General Assembly and serve two-year terms.
The council has primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security and can impose sanctions and, in some circumstances, authorise the use of force.
Ruto’s demand for reform adds Kenya’s voice to the broader African push for changes to the council’s composition.
Under the Common African Position on Security Council reform, African countries have sought at least two permanent seats with full rights, including veto powers, together with additional non-permanent seats.
A permanent African presence would give the continent continuous representation in discussions and decisions concerning major international conflicts and security matters.
The veto would also give African permanent members the power to block substantive decisions by the council.
Beyond the composition of the Security Council, Ruto raised concerns about the wider international system, particularly the way international law is applied during conflicts and crises.
He said the international community does not lack laws but is facing a growing problem of confidence in whether those laws are applied consistently.
“The problem is not that the world lacks law. It is that confidence in its consistent application is weakening,” Ruto said.
He called for the same standards to be applied when international law is used to respond to different crises.
“International law cannot be invoked loudly in one crisis, cautiously in another crisis and disregarded when convenient,” he said.
According to Ruto, perceptions that countries or crises are being treated differently can damage confidence in international institutions.
“Every perceived double standard carries a price and that price is trust,” he said.
He said restoring that trust would require consistent action rather than statements alone.
“Trust cannot be restored by declaration. It must be earned by consistent application,” Ruto said.
The President’s remarks brought together two issues he presented as central to the credibility of the international system: greater representation in the Security Council and equal application of international law.
Ruto said the existing structure no longer reflects the current distribution of countries and voices within the United Nations.
The 81st session of the UN General Assembly is being held in New York, with the high-level general debate beginning on September 22, 2026.