President William Ruto has questioned the relevance of the United Nations Security Council’s current structure in addressing today’s peace and security challenges.
Speaking at Peking University in Beijing, the President said the Council’s credibility is eroding
“The Security Council, once a beacon for peace and diplomacy, now has one permanent member invading one country, while another member takes sides in conflict in contradiction to the Council’s own resolutions,” Ruto said.
He argued that the current structure of the Council was only acceptable in the unique aftermath of World War II.
“No other circumstance, other than the post-war situation, would have made the current structure of the UN and more particularly the UN Security Council, that is the five permanent members with individual powers, an acceptable peace and security structure,” he stated.
President Ruto said the permanent members are resisting change, despite the Council’s declining global relevance.
“Yet today, the permanent members live in denial and resist reform, even as the Security Council becomes less and less legitimate and its relevance is being put to question,” he added.
President Ruto’s remarks come amid growing global calls to reform the UN’s highest decision-making body on matters of peace and security.
In August 2024, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for changes to the “outdated structure” of the Security Council, emphasising the need for Africa to secure a permanent seat, given its underrepresentation in global decision-making.
The permanent members of the Security Council—commonly referred to as the P5—are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
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