Kenyan President William Ruto used his Wednesday address to the United Nations General Assembly to call for a permanent African seat on the UN Security Council, pointing out that the continent accounts for more than a quarter of the assembly’s membership.
Ruto lamented Africa’s exclusion from permanent representation, arguing that the continent’s demographic and diplomatic weight is not reflected in the council’s current structure.
The Security Council presently has five permanent members—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States—and ten non‑permanent seats that rotate among regional groups. Africa currently holds two of the non‑permanent seats but none permanently.
His appeal echoes long‑standing proposals from the African Union and other African leaders who have urged reforms to make the council’s composition more representative of today’s global realities.
Ruto concluded by urging member states to consider an amendment that would grant Africa a permanent seat, saying such a change would improve the council’s legitimacy and effectiveness.
<small>Source: Africanews — read the original story there.</small>
