President William Ruto has renewed calls for Africa’s permanent representation on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), terming the continent’s continued exclusion “unacceptable and indefensible.”
Speaking during the 7th Summit of the Committee of 10 (C-10) Heads of State and Government on UN Security Council Reform in New York, Ruto said Africa bears a disproportionate burden of the Council’s agenda while remaining the only continent without a permanent seat. He argued that the credibility of the UN will be judged by its willingness to address this “historic injustice.”
“Africa contributes significantly to UN peacekeeping operations and carries much of the Council’s workload. Yet we are denied a permanent voice. The time to act is now,” Ruto stated. He urged African leaders to amplify their voice in bilateral, regional, and multilateral platforms while uniting behind the Common African Position, which demands at least two permanent seats for the continent.
The President emphasized that Africa must also prepare to take on the responsibilities of permanent membership, including agreeing on modalities for selecting its representatives. “This is a complex but necessary undertaking, and an opportunity to demonstrate Africa’s maturity, cohesion, and vision for an effective international order,” he added.
The summit, convened by Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio during the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly, brought together several African leaders, including Angolan President João Lourenço, Namibian Deputy Prime Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, and African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf.
In their remarks, the leaders echoed Ruto’s position, stressing that Africa’s exclusion undermines the UN’s legitimacy. President Maada called Africa’s demand “legitimate, non-negotiable and just,” while Lourenço said it was contradictory that African issues dominate the Council’s agenda without African decision-making power. Youssouf insisted that the imbalance “is no longer acceptable,” urging global partners to “stand on the right side of history.”
