President William Ruto speaks during the High-Level Convening on the ‘Accra Reset’ on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 22, 2026/ PCSPresident William Ruto has called for reforms to the United Nations and the international financial system, saying global institutions must reflect the changing world and better serve developing countries.
Ruto spoke in New York on Tuesday as world leaders gathered for the opening of the General Debate of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
The General Debate brings together heads of state, governments and delegations for a week of speeches and diplomatic engagements.
Ruto said the rules and institutions established decades ago had not kept pace with the world they were expected to govern.
He spoke while co-hosting the Partners for Multilateralism Summit with European Council President António Costa and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
"This is why Kenya continues to advocate reform of the UN Security Council to make it more representative and inclusive, particularly for Africa," Ruto said.
The President also called for reforms to the international financial architecture, saying it should become fairer, price risk more accurately and enable developing countries to mobilise more of their own capital for development.
"Trust will be restored when multilateralism works more fairly, rules are applied consistently, institutions reflect the world they govern, and cooperation delivers results that people can see and feel," he said.
Ruto's call for reforms came as the General Assembly opened under the theme "Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all".
The General Debate will run through Saturday before concluding on Monday, September 28.
Several high-level meetings are taking place alongside the debate, focusing on issues including climate action, sea-level rise, development finance, industrialisation, child health and nutrition.
Ruto has also used his engagements in New York to advance Kenya's position on technology and Africa's economic transformation.
On Monday evening, he attended a High-Level Convening on the "Accra Reset", where he affirmed Kenya's leadership of the MasterKey Corridor, connecting African skills and credentials to opportunities across borders.
President William Ruto speaks during the High-Level Convening on the ‘Accra Reset’ on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 22, 2026/ PCS
Ruto said Africa should play a greater role in developing the technologies shaping the century and in determining the rules governing them.
"Africa must be a builder of the technologies defining this century and a contributor to the rules that govern them," he said.
He said Africa needed to organise its capabilities at scale, strengthen its technological agency and translate innovation into greater productivity, new enterprises and opportunities.
"Our task is to organise Africa's capabilities at scale, strengthen our technological agency and translate innovation into greater productivity, new enterprises and opportunity for our people," he said.
Ruto said the Accra Reset provides a practical platform for advancing the agenda and ensuring technological progress delivers shared prosperity.
He also described technology as a key enabler of sustainable competitiveness, saying it could help African countries move towards middle-income status.
The President's engagements in New York come ahead of his main address to the General Assembly on Wednesday.
