Kinyarwanda
New York — President Uhuru Kenyatta has called for urgent reforms at the United Nations to ensure Africa is allocated two permanent seats at the Security Council complete with all attendant rights and prerogatives.
Speaking when he delivered Kenya’s country statement at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday afternoon, the Head of State said, besides the two permanent seats being demanded by the continent, Africa deserves more non-permanent seats. Currently, Africa has three non-permanent seats at the UN Security Council.
“Kenya joins in the demand for two permanent seats for Africa, with all the rights and prerogatives of current members, including the right of veto, and additional non permanent seats,” said President Kenyatta.
The additional seats, said President Kenyatta, would correct the historical injustices that Africa has suffered at the global body over the years.
“As we all know, Africa is under represented in the non permanent category of the Security Council and not represented at all in the permanent category,” President Kenyatta observed.
“This historical injustice is a clear indication of the skewed system that has perpetuated an exclusive model of governance that fuels the trust gap between nations, ” the President added.
In the speech that lasted slightly under 20 minutes, President Kenyatta pointed out that real change at the global body cannot be realized without reforms to the membership of the UN Security Council.
President Kenyatta said time has come for the global community to embrace bold solutions for it to succeed.
While citing the Kenyan situation in which an aggressive campaign is underway against fraud and abuse of public office in order to restore confidence in governance, the President said: “We have to fight impunity and corruption. Seriously and without fear or favor.”
The President said that in its efforts to bring about good governance, Kenya has reached out to partners such as Switzerland and the United Kingdom in order to return illegal proceeds of corruption which have been stashed in their banking and financial systems.
The President noted that current challenges bedevilling the world require greater cooperation and partnerships so as to achieve better solutions for all.
President Kenyatta said the world stands in a decisive moment, and pledged Kenya’s willingness to play its part by championing for change for the benefit of all.
“Today’s problems, risks and threats are complex and call for more not less cooperation, more not less observance of the rule of law, more not less negotiations; we need a rule based multilateral system,” said the Head of State.
Earlier in the day, President Kenyatta attended and addressed two side meetings on Tuberculosis and Climate change.
