Christine Muchira
Monday February 13, 2023
Deputy Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations Ambassador Michael Kiboino
Kenya successfully made a case for the need to reform the United Nations peacekeeping operations to make them more responsive to current and emerging dynamics on local conditions, the country’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Amb. Michael Kiboino has said.
While highlighting the major issues put forward by Kenya during its two-year tenure as a non-permanent member of the UNSC, the diplomat said Kenya takes cognizance of the importance of efforts being directed toward facilitating involvement of regional organizations and mechanisms in resolution of conflict within their spheres of influence.
He said preventive diplomacy is important and as such emphasis should be put on peacebuilding that comes with adequate and predictable financing.
The diplomat was speaking during the United Nations Security Council Exit Briefing with Member States that have served on the Council over the 2021-2022 term.
He underscored the need for UNSC to consider the impact of security on development, noting that there is need to give special attention to the achievement in Sustainable Development Goals as well as the Social Economic Development in countries confronted by conflict and instability.
“In our engagements we sought to demonstrate that regional leadership and regional ownership if allowed the space and with international support can deliver peace effectively.” Amb. Kobino disclosed.
“A citable case is the ceasefire that was achieved in Northern Ethiopia following deployment of regional mechanisms.” He added.
He said Kenya gave strong emphasis on issues such as building bridges; regional peace and security; peace support operations; countering terrorism and prevention of violent extremism; humanitarian action; justice, human rights and democracy; women, peace and security; youth and development; environment and climate change agenda; and Sustainable Development Goals among other agendas, citing this as the reason behind the support the country got in her bid to be a non-permanent member of the Council.
In the ongoing war on terror, the Kenyan Representative noted that the most significant achievement for Kenya was the strengthening of sanctions against Al-Shabaab terrorist group.
Courtesy of Kenya, he says there have been improvements of the mandate of the UN peacekeeping missions in Africa.
“Importantly for us again the council gave its full support to the African Union in transitioning the African Union Mission (AMISOM) to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS),” he said.
At the same time, Kiboino says the arms embargo on the Democratic Republic of Congo was fully lifted and in the case of the Central African Republic, he notes that only a notification requirement remains.
“Our tenure as the informal coordinator between the UN Security Council and the peacebuilding commission, is marked by a sharp increase in the number of advisories by the Peace Building Commission (PBC) to the UN Security Council.” He said.
Adding that: “I believe it was in recognition of Kenya's strong showing on peacebuilding that we were honoured alongside Sweden to co-facilitate the intergovernmental negotiation process that led to the adoption of the General Assembly milestone resolution on financing for peacebuilding.”
And that’s not all. Alongside Ireland and Mexico, he said Kenya pioneered the shared commitments on women peace and security Agenda during the trio presidencies and as of today, 15 current and former members of the Security Council have joined this initiative.
“We believe that this is a legacy that will live on and is attributable to the three countries.” he said.
“Kenya worked with A3 and other like-minded countries including Norway as the Chair of the informal expert working group on climate and security to ensure that language on climate and security in security Council products retained and not watered down,” he noted.
Over and above this, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Kenya to the UNSC says Kenya championed the course of people of African descent including those fleeing the war in Ukraine and also in the context of the files on Columbia and the Asian files.
On October 1st, 2021, Kenya assumed the rotational Presidency of the UN Security Council, a watershed moment in the country’s two-year tenure at the Security Council.
Kenya’s Presidency was not only consistent with the country’s strategic security goals, but was also vital in impressing on the Council, Kenyan as well as African ethos in addressing global security challenges.