By Nyakundi Bw’Otwere
Seville, Spain
Kenya’s President William Ruto has underscored the need for unity and tangible action in the global effort toward a fairer and more sustainable future.
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Dr Ruto emphasized that the Pact for Prosperity, People and Planet (4P) is rooted in solutions—not finger-pointing.
Speaking at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, Spain, President Ruto co-chaired a high-level session alongside French President Emmanuel Macron.
He stressed that the push to reform the global financial architecture must transcend the outdated divide between developed and developing nations.
“This is not about South versus North. We are not discussing narratives or pointing fingers — this is about solutions that work for all countries,” he declared.
President Ruto announced that 73 countries have now joined the 4P initiative, a growing coalition committed to aligning climate action with sustainable development goals (SDGs).
He hailed the momentum as a sign of a shifting global consensus—one that seeks to erase the false choice between addressing poverty and confronting climate change.
He also urged national governments, particularly those in the Global South, to take greater responsibility by mobilizing domestic resources and reducing overreliance on external aid and financial institutions.
“We will step up as countries in providing local solutions. We cannot wholly depend on external solutions to meet our challenges—financial or otherwise,” Dr Ruto added.
Highlighting the crucial role of private sector innovation, the President called on African and other developing nations to involve businesses more deeply in public service delivery, especially in sectors like healthcare.
President Macron echoed the sentiment, warning that framing global development challenges as a “North versus South” struggle only hinders progress.
“The only chance we have is to work together with respect,” Macron affirmed.
The 4P pact continues to gain global traction, signaling a wider push for the reform of multilateral financial institutions and a more just, climate-conscious model of global development.
