Ruto heads to UN meeting amid clamour for reform

President William Ruto is departing on Friday for the United States to participate in the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (Unga) in New York. 

This will be the second trip to the US this year, having already made a State Visit to Washington in May. But the focus will be the UN General Assembly, the annual ritual where world leaders descend on New York to give speeches on global issues.

Ruto is expected to address the plenary on Tuesday next week, according to a provisional programme publicised this week.

As he has done twice before, he is expected to speak on climate change, reforms in the UN and other global bodies as well as a financing architecture suitable for poor countries.

A dispatch from State House said the Head of State is expected to hold meetings with other world leaders and heads of international organisations. 

Read: Reforming the UN: Africa's new bid at an old problem

State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohammed said Dr Ruto is also expected to meet United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. 

“He will be meeting Guterres to discuss Kenya’s role as host of the UN Environment Programme (Unep), the ongoing capital project at the UN Office in Nairobi and the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti where Kenya has taken a leadership role in promoting peace and security,” read a press statement from State House. 

Kenya sent police troops to the MSS in June but the mandate of that mission expires next month. While the UN Security Council may extend it for another year, there have been concerns, too, that the voluntary contributions kitty established to help fund the Mission has not attracted enough donations yet.

In New York, Dr Ruto is also expected to advocate for the comprehensive and accelerated reforms of multilateral institutions such as the United Nations to ensure that they respond to challenges facing nations across the world. This has been his pet subject lately, including joining peers to call for reforms at the UN Security Council, the UN’s most powerful organ.

Binding decisions

Its 15 members can normally make binding decisions but only five non-permanent members have the power of the veto: Russia, China, US, France and the UK. That means any substantive decision that any of the five permanent members vetoes often fails and critics charge the five countries have often used this privilege to settle scores or prevent punitive measures on themselves or allies.

The Head of State is also expected to rally nations to respond to modern challenges such as climate change. 

“He will call for a thorough review of the multilateral system, highlighting its inability to effectively address interrelated crises such as climate change, the debt burden, complex conflicts and the erosion of democratic governance,” read the statement. 

While in the US, President Ruto will also hold a series of meetings with world leaders and international organisations in an effort to position the country to explore opportunities in trade and diplomacy. 

“The discussions will focus on enhancing Kenya's trade relations, advancing the country's leadership in climate action and fostering strategic partnerships in renewable energy and digital innovation, among others,” the press statement said. 

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