African countries must help shape international decisions if multilateral institutions are to recover public confidence, a senior United Nations official said Thursday during a Nairobi meeting ahead of a global summit on trust.
Ahunna Eziakonwa, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser to the Secretary-General, addressed a leadership meeting focused on rebuilding trust in multilateralism. The Trust Summit is scheduled for October 21–23.
The discussions centre on how institutions can respond to concerns about representation, accountability and the delivery of international commitments. Eziakonwa said Africa should be recognised as a partner in designing the global system, rather than as a recipient of decisions made elsewhere.
“Africa is not asking for a seat at someone else’s table anymore. Africa is a co-architect of a system that is renewed, and not only repaired,” she said. “The starting point for trust is to treat Africa as a shaper of our common future, and not as a recipient of global change.”
Her remarks reflect continuing demands for a more equitable international order, particularly as countries question the influence they have over decisions that affect their economies and populations.
For Africa, the concerns include representation in multilateral institutions, access to development finance and the gap between promises on climate funding and development assistance and the resources eventually delivered.
Eziakonwa said reform should not be confined to international institutions. African governments must also demonstrate accountability to citizens and show results in agriculture, education and public services, while holding international partners to their commitments.
She said trust is built through measurable action and regular reporting, not broad statements of intent.
“Trust is not rebuilt by grand declaration. It’s rebuilt by commitment, one commitment after another, each with a named owner, a timeline, and a date on which we report back,” she said. “That is what the Nairobi Call to Action and its framework for action are designed to do.”
The Nairobi meeting seeks to turn these concerns into practical commitments by bringing together governments, international organisations, civil society, businesses and young people. Participants are expected to consider how promises can be tracked and progress assessed.
Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Abraham Korir Sing’Oei, said rebuilding trust required greater public engagement and a willingness by large institutions to include non-state actors in decision-making.
“If we are serious about rebuilding trust, states must open the door to greater engagement with society, and large institutions must make room for non-state actors,” Sing’Oei said. “That is what the Trust Summit is designed to be: a space where we are co-creators and co-equals in building a more trustworthy future.”
He said the summit should provide room for participants to contribute as equal partners in shaping a more trustworthy future.
Young people are another focus of the discussions, given that decisions made today will influence their economic prospects and political participation.
Deborah Ndanu Nzomo, secretary-general of Kenya Model United Nations, said institutions must demonstrate that they value young people’s ability to contribute.
“The future of multilateralism depends not only on whether young people believe in its institutions, but also on whether those institutions demonstrate that they believe in young people,” Nzomo said. “Trust must be mutual.”
Proposed outcomes of the October summit include a Nairobi Statement on Global Trust, a summit report, a Trust Barometer dashboard, a joint task force to track implementation and a report examining Africa’s trust landscape.
The proposals will need to produce evidence of progress if they are to make a difference. Governments and institutions must disclose their performance and accept scrutiny when commitments are not met.
The wider question for Africa is whether a stronger voice in global affairs can be matched by accountability at home and lasting confidence among the people institutions serve.
