President Ruto attends NAM summit in Uganda

President William Ruto has asked the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to champion reforms that will enhance global peace and security, equality of nations and rectification of the international financial architecture.

President Ruto appealed to the 120-member countries organisation to provide moral leadership that will ensure international instruments and commitments for disarmament are implemented.

This, he explained, will ensure the United Nations, regional and sub-regional organisations do more to promote peacemaking, conflict prevention, and peacebuilding.

“Our age is increasingly characterised by the rising risk of armed conflict, resurgent nuclear proliferation, the persistent threat of terrorism and violent extremism, along with emerging challenges such as the devastating impacts of climate change,” he said. 

The President reiterated the Non-Aligned Movement’s commitment to the protection of independence and sovereignty of nations and the promotion of freedom for inclusive and sustainable growth.

He made the remarks on Friday during the 19th Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Kampala, Uganda.

The President asked Non-Aligned Movement member states to push for their inclusion in the decision-making frameworks and institutional architecture of both the global security and governance and the international financial system.

He noted that the current system is unfair and prone to abuse by a few nations at the expense of the rest.

The Head of State observed that the sovereignty of other nations is threatened when global institutions take unilateral actions, unjustifiable measures, and double standards in the application of international law.

“Since its inception, our movement has existed to protect, uphold and promote the enduring and universal values of freedom, democracy and the sovereign equality of the nations of the world,” he said.

President Ruto said reforms in the international financial architecture will ensure there is a fair and inclusive economic system that will be characterised by equal and inclusive opportunity.

He said there was a need for reforming the existing system that he described as punitive, unjustifiable and unsustainable saying it has escalated the debt crisis.

“Our support for this agenda will go a long way in alleviating rising debt distress in many countries,” he said.

At the opening session of the meeting that is taking place in Kampala, Uganda, President Yoweri Museveni was elected unanimously as the Chairman of NAM.

Uganda, which succeeds Azerbaijan, will serve for three years at the Forum that was established in 1961.

South Sudan is expected to be admitted into the NAM on Friday.