We need to do better, President Ruto calls for reforms in addressing global crises at UN Assembly

President William Ruto has renewed his criticism of developed countries for failing to address the global climate crisis, inequalities, and debt crisis.

During his first presentation at the United Nations General Assembly’s Summit of the Future in New York, Dr Ruto on Sunday night said the United Nations had not sufficiently addressed ongoing global challenges.

“The planet is heating up, our climate is in crisis, oceans are rising, deserts are spreading and conflict is engulfing the world. Millions of people are displaced poor and without access to basic services,” Dr Ruto said.

Unfortunately, he said, multilateral systems had proven inadequate in addressing climate change, inequality and debt.

Dr Ruto emphasised the urgent need for immediate action to address the unprecedented global crisis posed by advanced stages of climate change.

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He called on the UN to move beyond boardroom discussions and take actionable measures to combat the effects of climate change on a worldwide scale.

“We have no choice but to reject outdated systems and reemerge a framework of international cooperation that works for us, eight billion of us on the planet.

"This means redesigning the international financial system and strengthening partnerships for common security bridging the digital divide and investing in human capacity especially empowering women and youths, the window to achieve this is, however, fast closing,” he said.

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He took pride in Kenya`s execution of the 1st African Climate Summit describing it as a good example of actionable reforms in addressing climate change while detailing the country`s ambitious plan to plant 15 billion trees.

He challenged the world to follow suit in other actions in the race against climate destruction of the world.

“In Kenya, we aim to increase forest cover by 30 per cent by planting 15 billion trees an effort largely led by our youths. Two weeks ago, I launched Climate Works, a programme to employ, 200,000 young people focusing on ecological restoration and infrastructure. This is the way to go,” he said.

On the ongoing wars globally, the President praised his men in uniform on the peacekeeping mission in Haiti while citing the mission as Africa’s contribution to global peace hence the continent deserving of permanent representation at the United Nations Security Council.

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“A year ago, I declared Kenya’s commitment to contribute to an international security support mission to Haiti, I went to Porto Prince yesterday to witness the significant progress made by Kenya`s mission even with the constraint of limited resources, what looked like mission impossible is now a present and real possibility for peace in Haiti,” Dr Ruto said.

On the representation to the UN Security Council, he said, “We must address the historical injustice of Africa’s lack of permanent representation at the UN Security Council as a matter of justice in the ongoing United Nations reforms.

Additionally, region-led peace operations sustainably funded by the UN access contributions are critical in addressing today’s complex security challenges.

In a major announcement recently, the United States, through its Ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said that it was ready to support two permanent African seats at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and one non-permanent seat for small island states.

However, she indicated that the US would not support that the two permanent African seats be granted veto powers like the five original permanent members namely the US, China, France, Britain, and Russia.

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The reason for this, according to Ambassador Greenfield, is that the veto has rendered the Security Council dysfunctional as any permanent member can block Council resolutions they do not agree with.

The Council currently consists of five permanent members with veto powers and 15 non-permanent members’ representative of the diverse regions of the world.

"The veto power has been widely criticised for making the Council ineffective, as the permanent members rarely agree and frequently use their veto power. This leaves the Council unable to act on important global security matters."

Dr Ruto’s speech also touched on Sustainable Development Goals, indicating that African countries are facing severe financial constraints and hence not able to achieve the goal.

“The 2014 Sustainable Development Goals report paints a dire picture with only 17 per cent of the targets on track largely due to unmet financial commitments and developing countries, particularly in Africa and the global south are facing severe funding shortages and the gap is widening,” he said.

“There is a need for enhancement of the conceptional window of affordable financing made available for developing countries to provide critical public services, undertake investment in economic transformation and implement ambitious climate.

According to a report released at a side event during the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) shows that Kenya's debt crisis is severely undermining the funding of health and HIV services, leaving the sector chronically under-resourced, according to a new report.

It also indicated that several countries in sub-Saharan Africa are suffocating in public debt, leaving them with little fiscal space to fund health and essential HIV services.

The report titled “Domestic Revenues, Debt Relief, and Development Aid: Transformative Pathways for Ending AIDS by 2030" shows that financing has become much more challenging for countries to provide care for HIV patients hence jeopardizing the progress made towards ending Aids in Eastern and Southern Africa.

“High public debt, elevated borrowing costs, high inflation, weak public finances and a decline in foreign investment are putting pressure on funding for the HIV response at a time when resources are most needed,” the report says.

“Other competing priorities have the potential to redirect much-needed international funds away from health and the HIV response. Of all world regions, a renewed commitment to fully fund the HIV response could have the greatest impact in eastern and southern Africa, which remain at the epicentre of the HIV epidemic with 52 per cent of all people living with HIV in the world."

Kenya, Ethiopia, Malawi, Namibia and South Africa, according to the report, have not yet seen a return to pre-pandemic levels of revenues. Across the region, tax revenues fell by 0.9 per cent of Gross Domestic Product between 2017 and 2023 from 16 per cent in 2017 to 15 per cent of GDP.

The most significant declines were observed in 2020 and 2021, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Between 2017 and 2023, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, and Zimbabwe experienced a decrease in domestic tax revenues of at least three per cent of GDP. In 2022, Kenya only collected 24 per cent of the expected revenue, which is affecting the allocation of funds for HIV services.

Five countries in the region including Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, Zambia and Zimbabwe are classified as ‘in debt distress’, three countries Ethiopia, Kenya and South Sudan are considered at ‘high risk’ with five countries Lesotho, Madagascar, Rwanda, United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda classified as ‘moderate risk. No country is considered low risk.