Kenya's President William Ruto says members of the UN Security Council (UNSC), especially those holding the power of the veto should support reforms of the global body, to make it responsive to the needs of the world’s citizens.
While in Germany on a two-day tour, Ruto said the UN Security Council, the world’s most powerful organ of the UN system, had to adjust to current needs, adding a voice to continued calls for reform by his peers.
“It is unattainable to continue with the UNSC in its current form and therefore it is a welcome call and I want to invite the rest of the members of the UNSC to support the preposition that has been made,” said Dr Ruto said as he praised German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for supporting reform.
“It has always been the position of Africa that the UNSC be democratised. An organisation that speaks for democracy, that speaks for representation cannot continue to be in its current form.”
The observation came after the US said it backs calls to ensure two more permanent seats on the Council go to Africa, the world’s biggest contributor to the UN membership but which has received the biggest impact of decisions of the Council.
Yet, none of the Permanent five members of the 15-member body comes from Africa. Permanent members of the Council currently hold veto powers. They were assigned these powers in 1945 when most countries in Africa were colonies of the West.
They are China, US, France, Russia and the UK, assigned these powers because they either emerged victorious after World War II, were generally wealthy at the time or had the biggest population size in the world at the time.
Although the Council has expanded over time to 15 members, the ten non-permanent members are elected for two years’ term by the 193 representatives at the General Assembly in New York. The ten non-permanent members are from all regions of the world and cannot influence substantive decisions if any of the permanent five vetoes.
Kenya completed its term in 2022 as a non-permanent member. But Ruto wondered where Africa, which its numbers are continued to be represented as non-permanent members with no veto powers.
“Where a continent of 1.4 billion people has no voice and cannot be seen. It has been our position as Africa that the representation of Africa at the UNSC is an overdue attempt.
“It was a conversation that I had with President Biden when I made a state visit to the US and I am immensely grateful that the US has now proposed two permanent seats for Africa,” said the president.
In truth, the US proposal is neither new nor helpful. Washington won’t let new permanent members to have veto powers for example, something that could leave Africans disgruntled still. In fact, China, Russia, Japan, India and Germany have all asked that the UN reforms to ensure Africa is best represented at the Council. The discussion for reform has lasted more than 17 years without fruit, however.
At a joint press conference in Berlin, where he is on a two-day tour, Dr Ruto, said the African continent can decide how to allocate the two seats once they come through.
“I have been asked, which countries will be sittings, it is going to be a decision for us when the two seats become available, we will have a conversation as a continent as to how, we will want to be represented,” he explained.
Germany reaffirmed its support for include two African States as permanent seats at the ‘exclusive club’ the global security body. It didn’t have a proposal on how to select them.
Chancellor Scholz underscored the importance of the continent having a voice among the ‘big five’ in UNSC, which remains contentious.
This after United Sates (US) President Joe Biden also voiced his support for Africa, whose representation has remained as some non-permanent members without veto powers.
He commended Chancellor Scholz for his support in the representation of Africa in the most important global institution.
On his part, Chancellor Scholz recalled initial push on the matter which is yet to bear fruit.
“What we have said and done in the past still remains. We should have a UNSC that responds to all members and that is what we have worked together with Namibia as co-chairs and we are working together with the UN here as well,” stated Chancellor Scholz.
He revealed that the matter will take centre stage at the UN General Assembly conference on the Summit of the Future in New York, this month.
“We will address a stronger representation of Africa. We need to reform the UNSC and address expectations. We are working closely with many other countries; we have ideas about stronger representation of Africa of course. This will be a topic address at the Summit and decisions that lie ahead of us,” he confirmed.
“It is important in regard to the meeting you addressed decision that lie ahead of us.”
The US has pledged for the creation of the two permanent council seats for African states and one seat to be rotated among small island developing states.
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Thursday that her country will make the two-country proposal, coming as the US seeks to repair ties with Africa, where many are unhappy about Washington's support for Israel's war in Gaza, and deepen relations with Pacific Islands nations important to countering Chinese influence in the region.
Ms Thomas-Greenfield told Reuters she hopes the announcement will “move this agenda forward in a way that we can achieve Security Council reform at some point in the future,” describing it as part of President Biden’s legacy.
“Much of the conversation around security council reform has been just that: a conversation. Now, its time to stop talking in circles and take action,” Ms Thomas-Greenfield said on X, formerly Twitter.
“We need to ask ourselves: how can we reshape the UN? How can we reshape the UN, And the multilateral system more broadly, to meet the challenges of the century?”
She discloses the UN has three new commitments for the UNSC reforms, the creation of the two permanent seats for Africa, one rotating seat on the council for small island developing stats and text-based negotiations to amend the UN charter.
Developing nations have long demanded permanent seats but years of talks on reform have proved fruitless and it is unclear whether US support could fuel action.
The Security Council, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security, has not changed from its 1945 configuration of the permanent five (P5).
Kenya’s ambassador to the UN, Ambassador Martin Kimani has indicated the many Africa countries will call for the veto powers at the high level debate during the UNGA.
Nevertheless, he has questioned the implications of getting the permanent seat by the Africa states, arguing that it will not be a charitable donation.
“With powers come responsibility. There are few, if any, African countries with the financial resources and a strong enough argument to convince their citizens that its good value for the money,” cautions Dr Kimani, who represented Nairobi at the UNSC during her two year’s tenure ahead of the planned publishing of a policy paper on the matter.
