Leveraging UNGA 81 to Strengthen Eastern Africa’s Strategic Agency and Regional Resilience

Executive Summary

The 81st United Nations General Assembly convenes at a critical juncture for Eastern Africa, where geopolitical fragmentation, fiscal pressures, democratic contestation, transnational crimes and protracted conflicts are placing growing demands on national and regional institutions. The session’s theme, “Restoring trust, sparking transformation,” and its priorities on peace and security, sustainable development, human rights, emerging technologies and multilateral reform provide important entry points for advancing Eastern Africa’s interests. Rather than approaching UNGA 81 as a collection of separate national priorities, Eastern African states should use it to develop coordinated positions around issues where collective action can generate greater diplomatic leverage and practical returns. This requires moving beyond participation towards strategic agency by shaping negotiations, building coalitions, securing resources and influencing institutional decisions. The region can use its collective position to pursue stronger African representation in global governance, more predictable development financing, resilient democratic institutions, coordinated responses to transnational crime and greater international support for African-led conflict prevention and peacebuilding. The value of UNGA 81 will ultimately depend on what Eastern Africa secures from the process and how effectively those commitments are translated into regional action. The objective should be a more coordinated, resilient and strategically influential Eastern Africa capable of advancing its interests within an increasingly contested multilateral order.