In his solemn address to the European Parliament on Tuesday 21 November, the President of the Republic of Kenya, William Ruto, made a plea for multilateral cooperation, taking advantage of the EU/Africa partnership, to tackle climate change as well as the conflicts and wars that are multiplying around the world, causing “great human suffering” and “deepening divisions at a time when global collaboration and unity are of the utmost importance”.
He had been invited by European Parliament President Roberta Metsola “as a likeminded partner and key strategic ally on the African continent in an increasingly complex geopolitical context” where “the European and African continents face shared challenges and common concerns”.
Ahead of COP28 in Dubai, the President of Kenya, the country hosting the first African climate summit, pointed out that “despite its minor contribution” to global greenhouse gas emissions, Africa was “particularly vulnerable” to a phenomenon that is worsening and constitutes “a shared global challenge”.
Above all, President Ruto called for a fairer multilateral system to put an end to cycles of indebtedness and dependence of poor countries that no longer have the means to devote funds to their own development.
“Multilateral institutions once represented the hope of international solidarity, are struggling to maintain broad-based acceptance, relevance and effectiveness on a large scale”, he stressed.
The President expressed his “gratitude” to the EU for the imminent conclusion of the EU/Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), which, he said, not only “opens up a world of opportunities” with “one of our major trading partners”, but also “builds a bridge between peoples and cultures”.
The Kenyan President also called on the EU to cooperate with Africa to tackle the root causes of irregular migration. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)