Statement from Kenya and Norway: Defending multilateral cooperation

They have further emphasized that multilateral cooperation is essential to uphold international peace and security, promote sustainable development and poverty reduction, and establish progressive norms on human rights, women rights, and climate and environment.

They  agreed that only the United Nations (UN) has the mandate, legitimacy and infrastructure to be the nexus of global multilateral cooperation. Currently, the United Nations system is being challenged by both serious funding cuts and geopolitical rivalries that undermine the principle of multilateralism. 

The UN Secretary General recently launched the UN80 Initiative to ensure that the United Nations adapts to these circumstances.  The UN80 Initiative involves forming bold proposals for United Nations system reforms to help the organization maintain its efficiency and global leadership function.

Kenya and Norway support the Secretary General’s efforts for  radical and bold proposals for organizational changes and innovation that will strengthen the United Nations’ efficiency, among these;

• Reforms that help maintain the role of the United Nations as the foremost meeting place for dialogue and global policy and decision making;
• Reforms that will make sure that the broader United Nations system can efficiently support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Pact of the Future on the ground while  maintaining the global humanitarian system; and,
• Reforms aimed at strengthening the United Nations system that provide enhanced support for the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), the only UN headquarters located in the Global South. UNON remains a critical hub for multilateral engagement and environmental diplomacy, and reinforcing its institutional capacity and global role is essential to ensuring a more balanced, inclusive, and representative United Nations.

The two delegations further agreed that for reforms to be successful, they need support from the broad membership of the UN. Kenya and Norway will, together with like-minded partners, reach out to countries in all regions to build cross-regional support for the ambitious United Nations reform agenda.

Finally, Kenya and Norway acknowledged the profound issues facing the structure and representation at the United Nations Security Council and underscored the urgent imperative for its reform to enhance legitimacy, effectiveness, and responsiveness. Kenya, in alignment with the Common African Position (C10), and Norway, in line with its long-held support for increased both permanent and elected African representation on the Security Council, reaffirmed their support for a more inclusive, representative, and transparent Security Council; one that reflects contemporary global realities and is better positioned to uphold the United Nations Charter and strengthen the Organization’s capacity to maintain international peace and security.