Global Trust Summit Adopts Action Plan, Proposes Three New Mechanisms
The inaugural Nairobi Trust Summit has proposed a United Nations-backed Global Trust Facility to finance reforms that restore public confidence in institutions, as governments and international organisations seek to address a growing global trust deficit.
The proposed facility is one of 29 action points adopted at the three-day summit in Nairobi from October 21 to 23, 2026, alongside plans to establish a Coalition on Global Trust and a Nairobi Trust Council to coordinate implementation and hold institutions accountable for their commitments.
The Global Trust Facility is envisaged as a voluntary financing mechanism supported by state and non-state contributors over an initial four-year period and administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), subject to further development and implementation.
It would support institutional systems considered critical to public confidence, including national accreditation bodies, regulatory trust indices, data protection agencies, cybersecurity authorities and judicial cooperation mechanisms.
“The Nairobi Call to Action moves the world from diagnosing the trust deficit to doing something about it. Trust is a global public good, and no institution, sector or country can rebuild it alone,” said Awel Uwihanganye, Chief Executive Officer of the Trust Summit.
The agreement, adopted under the theme Weaving Trust: Binding Strands for a Stronger Global Order, positions trust as a foundation for effective governance, economic growth, peace, climate action and global health security.
It argues that rebuilding public confidence requires institutions to demonstrate accountability, deliver on their commitments and protect the public interest rather than relying on communication campaigns alone.
Korir Sing’Oei, Principal Secretary in Kenya’s State Department for Foreign Affairs, said the next phase would focus on developing an implementation plan and extending public engagement to counties.
The proposed county-level campaigns would enable regulators and public institutions to explain their decisions, demonstrate accountability and show citizens how their actions protect the public interest.
Annual index to measure institutional trust
Among the proposed reforms is an annual Regulatory Trust Index to measure public confidence in regulatory institutions at national, regional and global levels and identify areas requiring improvement.
The framework also calls for stronger regulatory cooperation and mutual recognition, particularly through the East African Community and the African Continental Free Trade Area, to reduce unnecessary compliance costs caused by fragmented regulatory systems.
Subnational peer-review mechanisms would provide another avenue for strengthening accountability and improving public confidence in public institutions.
On global governance, the Call to Action proposes reforms to make multilateral institutions and the international financial architecture more representative, transparent and accountable.
It also calls for a review conference on the United Nations Charter under Article 109, stronger global health governance, equitable access to medical countermeasures and better coordination among regional and continental organisations working to prevent and resolve conflicts.
Climate commitments, the framework says, should be backed by predictable financing, technology transfer and capacity building, particularly for countries facing disproportionate climate risks.
Digital governance and inclusion
The agreement identifies artificial intelligence, digital platforms and synthetic content as growing influences on public discourse, calling for accelerated implementation of the Global Digital Compact and stronger international cooperation on AI governance.
It also advocates greater African participation in global digital decision-making, transparency around platform algorithms and synthetic content, and stronger protection of independent journalism and scientific integrity.
The framework further calls for children, young people, women, persons with disabilities, displaced persons and excluded communities to participate meaningfully in decisions affecting their lives.
It proposes expanded access to employment, entrepreneurship and finance for young people, while recognising sport, culture and the creative economy as tools for strengthening social cohesion.
With approximately 70 per cent of sub-Saharan Africa’s population under the age of 30, the summit emphasised the need to recognise young people as active contributors to institutional reform, economic development and international cooperation rather than merely beneficiaries of policy.
Biennial reviews to track progress
The proposed Coalition on Global Trust would provide a platform for governments and non-state actors to share knowledge, coordinate initiatives and advance commitments across countries and sectors.
The Nairobi Trust Council, to be hosted by Kenya, would bring together eminent figures from the public, private and philanthropic sectors to review progress and encourage accountability.
The summit secretariat will develop a Framework for Action with monitoring, tracking and reporting arrangements, including biennial reviews. The Call to Action also encourages international organisations, including the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, to conduct a biennial study examining the economic costs of distrust.
The summit is expected to convene every two years, with plans to extend the Trust Dialogues to other countries and regional and international platforms.
The adoption of the Nairobi Call to Action marks the beginning of an implementation process, with its impact depending on governments, businesses, international organisations, civil society and communities translating the proposals into funded programmes, institutional reforms and measurable results.
