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By:
Paul Ilado | |||||||||
| Posted:
Sep,21-2016 15:20:15
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| Kenya's Deputy President William Ruto has made a strong case for the retention of the United Nations Office in Nairobi. Ruto said it was important that the world body maintains its presence across the world especially in Kenya. He assured world leaders who gathered for the 71st United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday that UN's assets in Nairobi were secure. There has previously been debate about the future of the only UN headquarter based in Sub-Saharan Africa with some people suggesting that it should be moved out of Nairobi for security reasons. "We urge continued strengthening of the UN's footprint across the world, in general and particularly of the UN office in Nairobi (UNON)," Ruto said when he spoke before the 198-member Assembly for the first time. Ruto, who is leading Kenya's delegation to the Assembly on behalf of President Uhuru Kenyatta, said keeping the office in Nairobi will grow the relevance and enhance the legitimacy of the United Nations in the world especially in Africa. Dressed in an immaculate, navy blue suit with a white shirt and red tie, Ruto asked world leaders to speed reforms to the United Nations Security Council so that Africa can get a permanent seat as well. "Kenya is deeply concerned that progress towards addressing the historical injustice in the representation of the African continent and its people on the council remains slow and unpromising," the DP said. He urged the UN General Assembly to achieve greater and genuine progress in this matter. Africa, through the African Union, has been pushing for a permanent seat in the Security Council which has five permanent members. They are: the USA, Britain, France, Russia and China. Germany, like Africa, is also fighting to join the big five and it is citing its large economy in Europe as the basis upon which it should be admitted. The Deputy President told the Assembly, like many countries, Kenya was grappling with the question of youth and women and was trying to find creative ways to create gainful employment for the two groups. "If we do not succeed at mainstreaming gender and integrating youth in our vision, goals and agendas, we shall fall miserably short of our ambition," the DP said. "This is why Kenya continues to remain focused on the priorities of youth and women including building and financing special programs for their full integration and mainstreaming," stated the DP He said Kenya was relying on technology to create most of the opportunities for young people. "Technological invention, such as MPESA in Kenya are leapfrogging us into the future, promising greater prosperity and integration," Ruto said. On regional matters, the Deputy President said Kenya was actively engaged in finding lasting peace solutions to its neighbours, namely South Sudan and Somali. Sadly, he said, the efforts of the region and Somalia’s neighbours have not been matched by the international community. "Instead of supporting this regional effort, the European Union this year cut the support for the AMISOM by 20%. Despite repeated appeals, the United Nations Security Council has failed to provide adequate, predictable funding as well as force multipliers for AMISOM. I once again implore members of the Security Council to take this matter seriously and align the mandate of AMISOM to the threat levels in Somalia on land, air and sea," Ruto said. | |||||||||
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Source:
The Star
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