Ruto challenges post-war global order, renews call for permanent African voice at UN

Nairobi, Kenya, Sep 24 — President William Ruto has questioned the post-World War II global order, asserting that the post-1945 institutions no longer mirror the world's current geopolitical landscape and must be reformed to ensure Africa secures a permanent role in decisions about war, peace and global economic governance. Speaking at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, Ruto emphasized Africa's absence from the UN Security Council's permanent membership as the focal point of his critique of a multilateral system he accused of maintaining unequal power structures while claiming sovereign equality.

"Every nation in this hall has one vote. Every nation is sovereign and equal under the Charter. Yet on the most pressing issues of war and peace, five nations enjoy a permanent power that the other 188 lack," Ruto stated. "The equality proclaimed in this Assembly ceases at the Security Council's doors." The Kenyan president argued that this imbalance is a reflection of the world order that emerged from World War II, but no longer aligns with today's reality.

He highlighted Africa's 54 UN member states, which constitute over a quarter of the General Assembly, but lack a permanent seat on the Security Council. "We are frequently discussed in its decisions, but permanently excluded," he said. The Security Council comprises five permanent members—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—and 10 elected members serving two-year terms.

Ruto's call for reform went beyond seeking additional seats, framing Security Council restructuring as a test of whether the multilateral system can adapt to the altered distribution of political and economic power. He also connected the issue of representation to mounting skepticism about international law's credibility, warning that inconsistent responses to international crises are undermining confidence in the rules-based order.

"The issue is not the world's lack of law; it's the diminishing confidence in its consistent application," Ruto remarked. "International law cannot be loudly invoked in one crisis, cautiously applied in another, and disregarded when it suits." He argued that such double standards are not merely a legal issue but a geopolitical one that erodes trust in international institutions and weakens collective action's legitimacy.

"Trust cannot be restored by declaration; it must be earned through consistency," he said. Ruto's remarks come amid ongoing global debates about the UN's capacity to address increasing conflicts and geopolitical tensions. At the assembly's opening, UN officials also pushed for a more representative Security Council, underscoring Africa's persistent underrepresentation.

The Kenyan president linked the urgency of reform to the deterioration in global security, citing 65 state-based armed conflicts in the previous year, including 13 that escalated to war. Conflicts ranging from Europe and the Middle East to the Sahel and Horn of Africa remained unresolved, with civilians suffering through displacement, famine, infrastructure destruction, and disrupted supply chains.

"Too many disputes are no longer resolved; they are frozen, deferred, or decided by force," Ruto noted. For Kenya, he argued, defending multilateralism does not equate to defending the current international system. "Kenya speaks today not from despair in this institution, but from conviction in its potential," he said. "Multilateralism works when nations commit to making it work."

Ruto broadened his critique beyond geopolitical representation to the global financial system, alleging that structural inequalities affect countries' ability to finance development. He reported that global public debt reached $102 trillion in 2024, with 46 developing nations spending more on interest payments than on healthcare or education.

"The hospital competes with the creditor, the classroom competes with debt service, and often the creditor is paid first," he said. Ruto called for reforms enabling multilateral development banks to lend more and for longer periods, along with increased use of guarantees, risk-sharing mechanisms, and local-currency financing. He emphasized that developing countries often face higher borrowing costs despite having significant financing needs for infrastructure, energy, education, and industrialization.

"Capital must price risk; it must not price prejudice," he said. He acknowledged that reforming the international financial system cannot replace domestic fiscal responsibility, stressing that governments must manage debt prudently, strengthen institutions, pursue credible projects, honor contracts, and combat corruption. "Reform abroad cannot replace accountability at home," Ruto asserted.

He argued that political and financial reform are part of the same issue: determining who shapes the rules of the international system and who bears their consequences. "Political reform and financial reform are not separate projects," he said. "They ask the same fundamental question: whether the institutions governing our common future will reflect their proclaimed sovereign equality or perpetuate preexisting inequalities from another era."

This stance aligns with the UN's 2024 Pact for the Future, which advocates for greater representation of developing countries in international bodies.