Nairobi Trust Summit adopts declaration with proposed delivery framework
The inaugural Nairobi Trust Summit has closed with the adoption of the Nairobi Declaration on Trust and Call to Action, setting out a proposed framework intended to carry work on public confidence beyond the three-day meeting in Kenya.
The summit ran in Nairobi from 21 to 23 October. Its closing declaration, adopted on 23 October, presents trust as a global public good and calls for action across public institutions, international cooperation, the digital sphere and inclusion. The adoption is the central outcome of the meeting, but the measures described in the declaration remain commitments and proposed mechanisms rather than funded programmes, enacted rules or new international bodies already in operation.
Four arrangements set out
The declaration names four elements for the next phase: a Coalition on Global Trust, a Nairobi Trust Council, a Global Trust Facility and a Framework for Action. Together, they are intended to link commitments made at the summit with future coordination, accountability and delivery.
The proposed coalition is envisaged as a way for governments and organisations from different sectors to share knowledge, coordinate initiatives and advance commitments across countries. The proposed council would provide stewardship and review progress. The facility is envisaged as a voluntary means of supporting initiatives that strengthen institutions and public confidence, while the framework is intended to set out commitments, responsibilities and timescales.
None of those descriptions means that every element has been constituted, financed or given a final institutional home. The next phase will require detailed design, agreement from prospective participants and decisions on governance and resources. Measuring progress will also depend on what reporting and monitoring arrangements are eventually adopted.
Agenda reaches beyond digital policy
Although trust in the digital age was a prominent part of the summit, the declaration has a broader scope. It identifies four connected areas: strengthening public institutions, reforming multilateral systems, improving governance in the digital age and advancing inclusion. The meeting’s wider agenda also considered accountability, transparency and international cooperation.
On digital issues, the discussion addressed the effect of artificial intelligence, platforms and synthetic content on public discourse and confidence. The call to action points towards greater cooperation on digital governance, transparency and information integrity. These are policy directions rather than a new regulatory code, and their practical effect will depend on subsequent decisions by the relevant authorities and participants.
The inclusion strand places children, young people, women, persons with disabilities, displaced people and excluded communities within the conversation about decisions affecting them. The declaration also links public confidence to whether institutions demonstrate accountability and deliver on commitments, rather than relying on statements alone.
Implementation is the test
The summit brought together representatives from government, international organisations, business, civil society, academia, technology and media, alongside young people. That breadth gives the declaration a wide stated audience, but it also means progress will require coordination among actors with different mandates and priorities.
The proposed framework anticipates monitoring, tracking and reporting, with reviews connected to future summits. Organisers plan to convene the event every two years. For now, the Nairobi Declaration records a shared set of ambitions and a proposed route for taking them forward. Whether it produces durable institutional change will depend on follow-through, resources and evidence of results after the meeting has ended.
