UN Leader urges Global Institutions to Treat Africa as a Partner in Rebuilding Trust in Multilateralism

Global institutions cannot regain public confidence without giving Africa a greater role in shaping international decisions, a senior United Nations official said, warning that trust in multilateralism depends on whether institutions deliver on their promises and represent the people they serve.

Ahunna Eziakonwa, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser to the Secretary-General, made the remarks at a leadership meeting in Nairobi focused on rebuilding trust in multilateralism, ahead of the Trust Summit scheduled for October 21–23.

Her address placed Africa’s longstanding demands for a more equitable international order alongside a challenge to the continent’s own leaders: governments must hold international partners accountable for their commitments while demonstrating greater accountability to their citizens.

The debate comes amid persistent questions about the credibility of multilateral institutions, the distribution of influence in global decision-making and the gap between international pledges on climate finance and development assistance and the resources ultimately delivered.

“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,” Eziakonwa 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.”

The call reflects a broader question confronting the international system: how can institutions command confidence when the countries and communities affected by their decisions believe they have too little influence over how those decisions are made?

For African countries, that question extends to representation in international institutions, access to development finance and the ability to influence the rules governing the global economy. But Eziakonwa said reform must also be accompanied by stronger domestic performance, including governments’ delivery on commitments in agriculture, education and public services.

Trust, she argued, is built through measurable results rather than declarations 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 is intended to move that argument from principle to practice by bringing governments, international organisations, civil society, businesses and young people into a shared process of defining commitments and tracking their implementation.

Abraham Korir Sing’Oei, Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, said rebuilding trust would require established institutions to open decision-making to a wider range of participants, including actors outside government.

“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.”

Young people, whose economic prospects and political participation will be shaped by decisions made today, must also be given a meaningful role in determining the future of multilateral institutions.

Deborah Ndanu Nzomo, secretary-general of Kenya Model United Nations, said institutions could not expect young people to place confidence in them without demonstrating confidence in 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.”

The challenge facing the October summit will be to translate these commitments into action that can be independently assessed. Proposed outcomes 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.

Whether these mechanisms can produce lasting change will depend on the willingness of governments and institutions to make commitments, disclose progress and accept scrutiny when promises go unmet.

For Africa, the stakes extend beyond restoring confidence in individual institutions. They concern the continent’s ability to help shape the rules of international cooperation while ensuring that its own governments earn the trust of the people they represent.