Why Sing'Oei wants global institutions to open up decision-making

Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei speaks during a leadership meeting in Nairobi on October 15, 2026. [Benard Orwongo,Standard]

Governments and international institutions must open up decision-making to rebuild public trust, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei has said.

Sing’Oei made the call during a leadership meeting in Nairobi on Thursday, October 15,  ahead of the Trust Summit scheduled for October 21 to 23.

“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 added.

The call comes as African countries push for greater influence in institutions that shape international security and economic policy.

In February, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres described the absence of permanent African representation on the UN Security Council as “indefensible”, renewing calls for reforms to reflect Africa’s role in global affairs.

The issue also extends to public confidence in national institutions. An Afrobarometer survey published in September 2025 found that 45 per cent of Kenyans trusted the President, while 44 per cent trusted Parliament.

The findings showed declining confidence in key political institutions over the previous decade, although they did not measure trust in international organisations.

Ahunna Eziakonwa, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser to the Secretary-General, argued that global institutions could not regain public confidence without giving African countries a greater role in shaping decisions that affect them.

“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.”

She challenged African governments to complement calls for international reform with greater accountability to their citizens, including delivering on commitments in agriculture, education and public services.

Eziakonwa maintained that trust depended on measurable results rather than declarations of intent, with clear responsibilities and timelines for delivering on promises.

“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.

She said the Nairobi Call to Action and its framework for action would help translate commitments into measurable outcomes.

Young people must also have a meaningful role in shaping the future of international institutions, observed Deborah Ndanu Nzomo, secretary-general of Kenya Model United Nations.

“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. Trust must be mutual,” Nzomo said.

The Trust Summit will bring together political leaders, policymakers, business representatives, academics, civil society organisations, media and young people to discuss ways of strengthening governance, inclusive economies and international cooperation.

Proposed outcomes include a Nairobi Statement on Global Trust, a summit report, a Trust Barometer dashboard, a joint task force to monitor implementation and an assessment of Africa’s trust landscape.