UN reforms needed to boost global progress

President William Ruto expressed concern in his key address to the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York about the glaring inequality in this vital global organisation, particularly the denial of Security Council seats to Africa.

This continent, with 54-member states in the UN and more than 1.4 billion people, has no permanent representation or veto power on the Security Council, more than six decades after most of the countries gained independence from colonial rule. It currently holds three rotating, non-permanent seats. The permanent seats with veto power remain exclusively with China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Structural reforms to governance and the international financial system are required to give Africa equitable representation. There is also the glaring problem of mounting debt and severe financial inequalities.

The economic disparities are getting more entrenched as 46 developing countries spend more money servicing public debt interest than funding critical social sectors such as healthcare and education. The solution lies in cheaper, long-term development financing.

This will only be possible through greater African participation and partnerships in technology to ensure the continent shapes the future digital economy rather than remaining on the periphery.

The UN system has helped to fight hunger and disease, expand access to education, and bring clean water and humanitarian assistance to communities across the world.

Every nation is sovereign and equal under the UN Charter, yet only five possess permanent power; the other 188 do not. Kenya is, indeed, speaking for Africa and the Third World. Hopefully, this will be echoed in greater demands for change.

For decades, the member states have debated how to make the Security Council more representative, legitimate, and effective. In 2008, the General Assembly moved its reform into intergovernmental negotiations. Seventeen years later, the talks are still going on. Urgently needed is a UN where every nation has a voice, every people a stake, and every child a future.

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