UN highlights Nairobi expansion, urges Security Council and financial reforms

Farhan, the moderator at the United Nations briefing, said the secretary-general and Kenyan leaders took part in a groundbreaking for a new conference hall and office complex at the UN offices in Nairobi and framed the expansion as a reaffirmation of Africa’s role in the UN. "The United Nations must be closer to the people it serves," he said, quoting the secretary-general.

The spokesperson said the new buildings at the Nairobi complex are designed to meet net-zero goals and will include year-round on-site solar power; expanded conference facilities will further increase solar installations and aim to bring the complex to energy neutrality by 2030. He described the Nairobi site as where "the future of multilateralism is being shaped every day."

Farhan said the secretary-general used the occasion to call for reforms of the Security Council and international financial institutions, arguing that African countries remain underrepresented and that reforms "cannot wait". He added that the secretary-general and Kenya’s president discussed broader reforms of the international financial architecture to make the system fairer and more effective.

The briefing also noted bilateral meetings at UNON, where the secretary-general thanked Kenya for hosting UN offices in Africa and expressed commitment to making Nairobi a global center for multilateralism. The spokesperson said the secretary-general later attended the Africa Forward Summit and held meetings with other African heads of state.

No formal decisions or timelines for the proposed reforms were announced at the briefing.