As this year’s UN General Assembly wound up its various activities, it was time to reflect on what the world’s various leaders had to say about our times and each other. Some spoke boldly, some timidly and some rudely. How did Africa fare? Anver Versi focuses on the speech given by Kenya’s President Ruto, regarded as articulating the views of the continent. He invites you to rate the speech and what impact it continues to have.
Coming to the present, President Ruto outlines the state of the world under the so-called New World Order.
“We meet against a grim global backdrop. Conflict rages in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, and beyond. Climate disasters grow fiercer by the year. Inequality deepens, pandemics loom, and technological disruption outpaces governance.
“Instead of trust, mistrust is spreading. Instead of solidarity, fragmentation is taking root. In place of hope, anxiety fills our global community.”
Nobody but the most cynical can dispute this description of our times. But he goes on: “At this moment of turbulence, when we most need a strong United Nations, the organisation faces its deepest crisis in credibility and capacity.
Funding cuts have paralysed its operations. Bureaucracy has slowed its response. The Security Council remains frozen in the post-war structures of 1945, unable to act inclusively, with fairness and with speed.”
He paraphrases what the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has been warning about for ages – only to be ridiculed and even abused. But he is adamant that Africa is not among those that wish to see an end to the UN.
“I can, however, state with absolute conviction that the United Nations has been one of humanity’s greatest achievements. For eight decades, it has held back the spectre of global war, calmed conflicts from Cambodia to Liberia, and stood guard in some of the world’s most dangerous places through the courage of its peacekeepers. Few institutions in human history can claim such a legacy.
“The UN has stood at the frontlines of humanitarian crises: From famine relief in the Horn of Africa to emergency shelter for millions of Syrian and Ukrainian refugees. It was at the forefront in the eradication of smallpox, coordinated global responses to HIV/Aids, Ebola, and COVID-19, and continues to champion universal vaccination.”
In case anybody has not been paying attention to what the UN has been doing in other spheres, Ruto reminds them:
“Its agencies have advanced women’s rights, protected children, safeguarded refugees, and set global norms on everything from disarmament to climate action.
“The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals remain a shared blueprint for human progress. These are achievements no nation could have accomplished alone, however rich or great.”
Ruto comes to the nub of the issue:
“Today, the United Nations stands at a crossroads of renewal or decay. Put differently, after 80 years, the rhymes of time are calling on us to re-imagine the original promise that inspired the founding of the United Nations: the quest for global peace, development, and human rights. But this call must now be answered in a global context that is profoundly different from the post-war era in which the UN was conceived.”
The leader of Kenya tells the audience what so many others think and feel are often too afraid to say aloud:
“On peace and security, its voice is too often drowned out by the rivalries of great powers, while some nations simply ignore its resolutions and do as they please.
Too often, the UN’s Blue Helmets, once a symbol of moral authority, no longer command the same respect. From the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine to the crises in Sudan, DR Congo, Somalia, and the Sahel, we see actors proceed undeterred by the UN’s calls”
At this point, Ruto segues from the global to the national. He talks about Kenya’s participation in peacekeeping missions including the relatively recent deployment of Kenyan troops to Haiti. He says that climate change is not only the single greatest threat of our age, but also one of the greatest transformation opportunities of our time.
“Kenya and Africa are not passive victims of this crisis. We are taking bold steps, showing that climate action is not only possible, but can also be the foundation for inclusive growth.
“Today, 93% of Kenya’s electricity comes from renewable sources — geothermal, wind, solar, and hydro. We are expanding investments in e-mobility, climate-smart agriculture, clean cooking solutions, and green manufacturing. We are also pioneering nature-compatible solutions such as sustainable waste management and circular economic interventions.”
He talks about Africa uniting its voice on this issue: “In 2023, in Nairobi, we hosted the inaugural Africa Climate Summit, where the continent adopted the Nairobi Declaration on Climate Action and Call to Action
“In Addis Ababa, Africa came together once again at the second Africa Climate Summit to reaffirm our commitments and strengthen our ambition for climate-positive growth. We declared Africa not just as a victim of the crisis, but as a source of solutions — with climate action driving economic growth, transformation, and job creation for our communities”.
He talks about changing the financial architecture of the world, which was put into place decades ago by Western powers but is no longer relevant to today’s world.
“Yet the governance of these institutions (IMF, World Bank, etc.) has not kept pace with the needs of a multipolar world, especially the needs of poor and developing countries.
“The mismatch between shareholders and stakeholders has become starkly visible. For instance, during the IMF’s recent allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), 64% went to wealthy countries with little need for liquidity support, while the poorest countries received just 2.4%.
“I have argued, and I say it again, that the current global financial architecture punishes poor countries while rewarding the rich.
“It is imperative to transform these institutions into genuinely independent, apolitical global bodies so that their operations are aligned with their global mandate. Such a shift would democratise decision-making, restore credibility, and allow the IMF and the World Bank to serve all countries fairly, rather than reinforcing old hierarchies”.
As he prepares to wind down his speech, he grabs the bull by the horns and zeroes in on the UN Security Council. He echoes the Secretary-General’s view that Africa, with its largest group, should by rights have permanent seats on the Council.
“The world must understand that reforming the Security Council is not a favour to Africa; it is a necessity for the UN’s own survival. If the UN is to remain relevant in this Century, it must reflect today’s realities, not the post-war power arrangements of 1945.”
In closing, President Ruto quotes Dag Hammarskjöld, the UN’s second Secretary-General, who said: “The United Nations was not created to take humanity to heaven, but to save it from hell.”
In conclusion, he says: “The 80th anniversary of the United Nations must be more than a commemoration; it must be a turning point for the Organisation. Let us seize this moment to reimagine and rebuild the UN into a body that commands legitimacy, responds with speed, and delivers justice for all.”
Amen, I say. And I must say I felt a glow of pride that an African leader had stood up in front of the world and said what needed to be said boldly, honestly and without a tremor of fear. Having heard the speech, what is your reaction?
The post Kenya’s Ruto punches from the shoulder as UNGA winds down. Part 2. appeared first on New African Magazine .
Kenya’s Ruto punches from the shoulder as UNGA winds down. Part 2.
Aggregated summary from an independent source. Read the original at NewAfricanMagazine.