Kenya’s President Outlines His UN Priorities

September 22, 2021

In this photo taken from video shown at United Nations headquarters, Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta remotely addresses the 76th session of the U.N. General Assembly in a pre-recorded message, Wednesday Sept. 22, 2021. (UN Web TV via AP)

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UNITED NATIONS — With Kenya poised to assume the presidency of the United Nations Security Council next month, the country’s president outlined his priorities.

Uhuru Kenyatta said Wednesday in a pre-recorded speech at the U.N. General Assembly that he believes multilateral systems need to be fair, inclusive and effective.

He plans to chair several signature events while Kenya has the presidency. Those subjects include making diversity a core aim in statebuilding, examining the impact of small illicit arms and light weapons on global peacekeeping ops and better supporting female peacekeepers and peacebuilders.

Kenyatta also declared Kenya ready to be a leading green industry economy. He said a fast-growing Africa could “offer the entire world the benefit of its demographic dividend of youth” and investment opportunities. He also touted Kenya’s involvement in ocean conferences and spoke of the associated blue economy.

On security issues, he said that states were ill equipped to deal with fragility that leads to crises and terrorism. He said it was important to increase the competence of states to manage social and political diversity.