Ruto Calls for Permanent African Seat on UN Security Council

Kenyan President William Ruto has called for permanent African representation on the UN Security Council and broader changes to international financial institutions. During an address to the UN General Assembly, Ruto argued that Africa’s exclusion from decision-making on issues that shape global security and development no longer reflects Africa’s global standing. He noted that despite Africa having 54 UN member states and making up more than a quarter of the General Assembly, the continent has no permanent Security Council seat. Ruto also criticized global debt dynamics, noting that developing nations pay higher borrowing costs than other countries. He cited the burden of debt interest—Africa bears a disproportionate share of the burden of servicing global debt despite accounting for a small share of total public debt—and what he described as biases in sovereign credit ratings. Ruto’s proposals seek greater African influence in global decision-making while acknowledging the need for governments across the continent to improve domestic governance, debt management, and investment conditions.