{
  "id": 14775589,
  "title": "UN official calls for Africa to have greater role in rebuilding global trust",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/un-official-calls-for-africa-to-have-greater-role-in-rebuilding",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-15T19:42:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "People Daily Kenya",
    "slug": "people-daily-kenya",
    "url": "https://peopledaily.digital/news/un-official-calls-for-africa-to-have-greater-role-in-rebuilding-global-trust"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A top United Nations official has urged Africa to assume a more significant role in determining global policies to restore public trust in international institutions. Ahunna Eziakonwa, the UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser to the Secretary-General, made this statement on October 15, 2026, during a leadership meeting in Nairobi ahead of the upcoming Trust Summit. She emphasized that Africa should no longer be viewed merely as a recipient of decisions made by other nations. \"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 asserted.\n\nEziakonwa highlighted that the foundation of trust lies in recognizing Africa as a key participant in shaping a shared future, rather than merely receiving global changes. Her comments come as international institutions face scrutiny over the unequal distribution of influence and the disparity between promised climate finance and development assistance, and the actual resources provided. For African nations, the focus is on achieving a stronger voice in global decision-making, accessing development financing, and influencing rules that govern the international economy.\n\nEziakonwa called for African governments to pair their advocacy for international reforms with greater accountability domestically, particularly in areas such as agriculture, education, and public services. She stressed that rebuilding trust necessitates tangible outcomes rather than mere promises, with commitments backed by assigned responsibility, timelines, and reporting mechanisms. \"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 explained.\n\nThe Nairobi meeting aims to transform calls for reform into actionable steps involving governments, international organizations, civil society, businesses, and young people. Kenya's Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Abraham Korir Sing’Oei, pointed out that rebuilding confidence requires established institutions to open up their decision-making processes to include a broader range of participants, including non-state actors. \"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 stated.\n\nThe Trust Summit will explore mechanisms for tracking commitments and evaluating whether governments and institutions fulfill their promises. Proposed outcomes include a Nairobi Statement on Global Trust, a summit report, a Trust Barometer dashboard, a joint task force to monitor progress, and a report assessing Africa's trust environment. The success of these measures hinges on institutions' transparency in disclosing their commitments and progress, as well as their willingness to face scrutiny when targets are not met. For Africa, these discussions are part of a broader movement seeking greater involvement in global cooperation, alongside demands for domestic accountability from African governments.",
  "summary": "Africa must play a greater role in shaping international decisions if global institutions are to regain public confidence, a senior United Nations official has said. Ahunna Eziakonwa, the UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser to the Secretary-General, said on Thursday, October 15, 2026, that rebuilding trust in multilateralism would require institutions to deliver on their commitments […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}