{"id":96754,"date":"2024-09-26T23:03:02","date_gmt":"2024-09-26T23:03:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/index.php\/2024\/09\/26\/ruto-slams-un-security-council-as-undemocratic-urges-swift-reform-for-inclusivity-and-accountability\/"},"modified":"2024-09-26T23:03:02","modified_gmt":"2024-09-26T23:03:02","slug":"ruto-slams-un-security-council-as-undemocratic-urges-swift-reform-for-inclusivity-and-accountability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/ruto-slams-un-security-council-as-undemocratic-urges-swift-reform-for-inclusivity-and-accountability\/","title":{"rendered":"Ruto Slams UN Security Council as \u2018Undemocratic,\u2019 Urges Swift Reform for Inclusivity and Accountability"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEW YORK, United States \u2013 Sep 26 \u2013 <\/strong>Kenya\u2019s President William Ruto delivered a powerful address at the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), condemning the current structure of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as dysfunctional, undemocratic, and in urgent need of reform. <\/p>\n

He cited several pressing global challenges, calling for bold and transformative action on issues ranging from international security to economic inequality and climate change.<\/p>\n

President Ruto\u2019s speech was marked by a strong critique of the UNSC, describing the body as autocratic, unaccountable, and opaque. He emphasized the council\u2019s exclusionary nature, particularly its failure to represent Africa\u2019s 54 countries and 1.4 billion people while giving one nation veto power over the decisions of 193 member states.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn institution that excludes 54 African countries\u2026 while allowing one nation to veto the decisions of the remaining 193 member states is unacceptable,\u201d Ruto declared, calling for reforms to make the UNSC more inclusive, transparent, and accountable. \u201cThe Council is dysfunctional, undemocratic, non-inclusive, unaccountable, autocratic, and opaque,\u201d he added, urging a fundamental restructuring to reflect the realities of the 21st century.<\/p>\n

<\/a>President William Ruto is escorted to the United Nations General Assembly to address the 79th session on September 26, 2024. He called for urgent reforms to the UN Security Council to enhance inclusivity, transparency, and accountability. \/X.<\/p>\n

The Kenyan leader lamented that the council\u2019s failures had undermined its ability to maintain international peace and security, with conflicts in places like Ukraine, Darfur, Yemen, and Haiti becoming battlegrounds for armed factions and proxy wars. Ruto said these conflicts have exposed the council\u2019s inability to address global instability, warning that \u201cunilateralism and militarization\u201d have taken precedence over dialogue and diplomacy.<\/p>\n

Kenya\u2019s Role in Peacekeeping and Regional Stability<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Ruto also highlighted Kenya\u2019s commitment to promoting global peace and security, detailing the country\u2019s participation in peacekeeping and conflict resolution efforts. He noted Kenya\u2019s role in the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and the launch of the Tumaini Initiative, a peace process aimed at resolving South Sudan\u2019s protracted conflict.<\/p>\n

Kenya\u2019s involvement in Haiti also featured prominently in Ruto\u2019s speech. Following the Security Council\u2019s authorization, Kenya has deployed 382 specially trained police officers as part of a Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) to help stabilize the country. \u201cOur support for the Haitian National Police has significantly advanced the pacification of cities and towns, protected critical infrastructure, and relieved many communities previously held captive by criminal gangs,\u201d Ruto said, urging the international community to provide further financial and logistical support for the mission.<\/p>\n

Global Economic Inequality and Financial Reform<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Beyond security issues, Ruto painted a stark picture of global economic inequality, especially as it affects developing nations in the Global South. He pointed to the unsustainable debt burdens that force countries to make difficult choices between essential public services and debt repayment.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany countries in the Global South are forced to choose between buying medicine and hospital equipment or paying debt, between buying textbooks or paying debt,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is not an abstract illustration detached from daily reality but the normal experience of billions of ordinary people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ruto called for a reformation of the international financial architecture, including measures like debt relief, concessional financing, and increased access to affordable credit for developing countries. He criticized biased credit rating systems that disadvantage African countries and limit their access to international capital markets.<\/p>\n

To address these challenges, Ruto noted that Kenya has been advocating for the Africa Green Industrialisation Initiative, aimed at unlocking investments in renewable energy projects across the continent. He emphasized that Africa\u2019s vast renewable energy potential\u2014solar, wind, geothermal, and hydropower\u2014remains largely untapped, urging the international community to invest in Africa\u2019s clean energy future.<\/p>\n

Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Climate change took center stage in Ruto\u2019s speech, as he detailed the growing threats posed by extreme weather conditions, biodiversity loss, and pollution, particularly in Africa. He highlighted that in 2022, more than 110 million people in Africa were directly affected by climate-related disasters, causing over $8.5 billion in economic damage.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are at a crossroads, and the path to correcting the climate course is clear,\u201d Ruto warned, ahead of the upcoming COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan. He called for urgent collective action, stressing the need for a new global climate finance goal and more significant support for developing nations.<\/p>\n

In addition, Ruto supported the adoption of a robust global plastics treaty during the fifth round of negotiations in Busan, South Korea. He endorsed the African proposal to establish the treaty secretariat in Nairobi, emphasizing Kenya\u2019s leadership role as host to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is indeed unfortunate and regrettable that UNEP is the only body where secretariats of conventions created under it are increasingly being carved away and located elsewhere,\u201d Ruto said. He called for the protection of UNEP\u2019s mandate and further investment in Nairobi as a regional and humanitarian hub for the United Nations.<\/p>\n

The Call for Unity and Collective Action<\/strong><\/h3>\n

President Ruto further urged world leaders to recommit to multilateralism, echoing the theme of this year\u2019s UNGA session, \u201cUnity in diversity for the advancement of peace, sustainable development, and human dignity for everyone everywhere.\u201d He called for a bold reimagining of international cooperation to align with the complex realities of the 21st century.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur actions must reflect our ambition and commitment to a world where progress is measured not just by economic growth but by the well-being, rights, and dignity of every person,\u201d Ruto said. He emphasized the need for collective action to combat climate change, reduce economic inequality, and reform global governance structures like the UNSC to ensure they reflect the aspirations of all nations.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NEW YORK, United States \u2013 Sep 26 \u2013 Kenya\u2019s President William Ruto delivered a powerful address at the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), condemning the current structure of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as dysfunctional, undemocratic, and in urgent need of reform. He cited several pressing global challenges, calling for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-96754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96754","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96754"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96754\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}