Published: February 17, 2026
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has urged African nations to speak with one voice in shaping United Nations reforms and influencing the selection of the next UN secretary-general, warning that the global body faces deep systemic challenges that demand inclusive and strategic solutions.
Speaking at a high-level breakfast meeting Sunday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Boakai emphasized that financial contributions alone will not resolve the United Nations’ mounting difficulties. Instead, he said, meaningful reform must address how priorities are set, mandates are executed and leadership navigates a world marked by geopolitical rivalry, fragmentation and declining trust.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | Facebook
Liberia currently chairs the African Group at the United Nations in New York.
A Call for Structural Reform
Boakai stressed that while member states’ dues are important, they are insufficient to address the broader institutional weaknesses confronting the UN.
He called for renewed attention to how institutions coordinate and how leadership responds to an increasingly polarized global environment.
“In this regard, I wish to acknowledge the incredible and sustained work of the African Union Committee of Ten (C-10),” Boakai said. “The C-10 has provided Africa with a platform for principled engagement on United Nations reform and has helped ensure that African perspectives remain present in discussions on institutional renewal, effectiveness, and fairness across the UN system.”
“It is a reminder that Africa does not stand apart from the UN; rather, it approaches these matters with a strategic, collective, and forward-looking spirit,” he added.
Secretary-General Selection ‘Not Merely Administrative’
The Liberian leader described the forthcoming selection of the next UN secretary-general as a defining moment for the organization, saying the decision will shape its tone, priorities and credibility at a time when global leadership is urgently needed.
“As Liberia chairs the African Group in New York this month, this conversation is both timely and necessary,” Boakai said. “Gathering here before the selection of the next Secretary-General provides an opportunity to think beyond established patterns and to reflect honestly on what the present moment requires.”
He noted ongoing debate about whether the selection process should move beyond informal regional rotation. Others, he said, have raised concerns that a secretary-general seeking to renew a mandate may face constraints in advancing sweeping reforms.
“These views differ, but the central question before us is not whether Africa should simply adapt from time to time,” Boakai said. “It is whether Africa has sufficiently reflected on its own potential and what it believes the United Nations needs most now.”
He continued: “What kind of leadership is required to drive reforms that rebuild trust and strengthen the multilateral system, and how can Africa, speaking with clarity and unity, shape the outcome?”
Africa’s Responsibility and Right to Lead
Boakai underscored that Africa must not remain a passive observer in the reform process.
Representing more than a quarter of UN member states and engaged across nearly every pillar of the organization, Africa bears a disproportionate share of global challenges, he said — from conflict and humanitarian crises to development and peacekeeping operations.
As such, he argued, the continent has both the responsibility and the right to help define the UN’s future direction.
According to Boakai, Africa must clearly articulate its expectations for future leadership, engage constructively with international partners and welcome renewed commitments — including financial support — while ensuring reform efforts go beyond budgetary adjustments.
Reforms, he said, must address deeper questions of relevance, effectiveness and institutional growth.
“The future of the United Nations will be shaped by those who choose to lead with clarity and courage,” Boakai said. “Africa must be among them — speaking with one voice, guided by shared principles, and committed to modernizing the system and strengthening our common institution.”
Liberia’s Historic Role in the UN
Boakai also highlighted Liberia’s historic ties to the United Nations, noting that Liberia was among the four African countries that were original signatories to the UN Charter.
He said that legacy serves as a reminder that Africa’s engagement with the UN is longstanding and substantive, not peripheral.
From development and humanitarian response to human rights advocacy and peacekeeping operations, the UN remains deeply intertwined with the daily realities of African citizens, he said.
“Africa engages the UN not only as a beneficiary but as a contributor to global solutions, and as a region whose experiences continue to test the organization’s relevance and effectiveness,” Boakai said.
“Today, however, we must speak honestly and clearly. The United Nations stands at a crossroads, and Africa must help determine the direction we choose; there is no time to stand aside.”
Discussion about this post