Kenya, 1995

Let me, at the outset,

congratulate His Excellency Mr. Diogo Freitas do Amaral

on his unanimous election as President of the fiftieth

session of the General Assembly. His wide diplomatic

experience and intellectual abilities reinforce our confidence

in his stewardship. I wish him success in the heavy task

before us.

I also pay tribute to his predecessor, His Excellency

Mr. Amara Essy, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Côte

d’Ivoire, who ably presided over the forty-ninth session

of the General Assembly.

We commend the Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros

Boutros-Ghali, for the untiring and visionary manner in

which he is managing the affairs of the Organization.

Kenya is fully committed to the ideals of this

Organization. Indeed, Kenya’s motto, “Harambee” which

means “pull together”, and the national philosophy of

peace, love and unity, are fitting expressions of what the

United Nations and the Kenyan people aspire to. Kenya

has always championed the principles of democracy and

the pursuit of socio-economic development to enhance the

living standards of the people.

Under the leadership of His Excellency President

Daniel T. Arap Moi, Kenya has undertaken far-reaching

political and economic reforms, whose benefits we are

beginning to see. Our economy is now totally liberalized

in keeping with our tradition of providing an environment

conducive to enterprise development. Our democratic

institutions have developed the necessary flexibility to

cope with the new situations and to ensure continuity of

the political stability which the country has enjoyed since

independence.

We have observed a systematic campaign to

denigrate African countries. It is as though there were an

agenda to bring them into international disrepute. We

reject these destructive approaches designed to promote

divisive elements and to manipulate domestic public

opinion with a view to pitting people against their own

Governments. Kenya also condemns in the strongest

terms the tendency in certain sectors of the international

press to present the image of African countries in terms

of tribal superiority or inferiority, to inflame ethnic

conflicts and to depict the continent as replete with

corruption and catastrophes. Africa deserves credit for its

arduous struggle against external domination. We are

determined to create cohesive and prosperous States after

many years of destructive colonial policies of divide and

rule, which constituted gross violations of human rights.

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I wish to assure the Assembly that the Government

and the people of Kenya are determined despite the odds to

continue the struggle to forge national unity and to

accelerate socio-economic development. Our commitment,

which I underscore, to the principles of democracy, good

governance, the protection and promotion of human rights

and the rule of law remains firm.

It is against that background that I wish now to

address some of the issues on the agenda of the General

Assembly. In the time since its inception, the United

Nations has evolved into a truly global organization, as

envisaged in the Charter. Its membership has grown from

50 at its inception to 185 today. Its activities have ranged

from decolonization, the codification of international law,

disarmament and conflict resolution to global humanitarian

activities and international economic cooperation. The

achievements in these areas are, indeed, self-evident. The

demands on the Organization have, however, exerted

maximum pressure on its ability to cope. Hence the need

for the Organization to be revitalized at this opportune time.

Five years after the end of the cold war the

international community still faces a number of conflicts,

which are of great concern as they continue to undermine

international peace and security. These conflicts have posed

serious challenges owing primarily to complexities

associated with their internal character. We nevertheless

appreciate the flexibility with which the United Nations is

dealing with these conflicts and the commendable successes

which have been achieved in resolving a good number of

them. These achievements include the resolution of the

conflicts in Namibia, Cambodia, Mozambique, El Salvador

and Haiti. Success becomes even more pronounced when

we consider the extent to which the United Nations has

effectively mobilized international humanitarian assistance

in virtually all conflict areas, through the Office of the

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and other

United Nations agencies.

At the forty-seventh session the General Assembly

mandated the Secretary-General to pursue preventive

diplomacy and to strengthen the Secretariat’s capacity to

cope with situations likely to endanger international peace

and security. To that end, the Secretary-General’s initiatives

“An Agenda for Peace” and the subsequent Supplement to

that document have made a significant contribution to this

important subject. I wish to record Kenya’s appreciation to

the Secretary-General for his personal efforts and initiatives

in search of lasting international peace and security. We

look forward to the results of the work of the informal

working groups that have been set up to consider in

greater depth the various elements contained in the Agenda.

We note the recent initiatives taken with a view to

strengthening the role of regional organizations in conflict

resolution and conflict management. Kenya, however,

wishes to reiterate that the thrust of the contributions of

regional organizations and arrangements should be

targeted towards preventive diplomacy and peacemaking.

We submit that peace-keeping and peace enforcement

should remain the primary responsibility of the United

Nations. These responsibilities are enshrined in the

Charter and cannot be transferred to regional

organizations. We encourage closer cooperation in this

regard between the Organization of African Unity (OAU)

and the United Nations on the basis of the Charter and

the agreement on cooperation between the two

organizations.

With regard to regional conflicts, Kenya welcomes

the important steps towards long-lasting peace that we

have recently witnessed in the southern part of Africa.

Following the positive resolution of the conflict in

Mozambique, recent developments in Angola give us high

expectations for a durable solution of the protracted

conflict in that sisterly country.

At a time when the world is championing the cause

of peace, democracy and human rights, it is totally

unacceptable that a band of mercenaries should overthrow

the Government of the Comoros and hold the President

and Government officials captive. Kenya condemns this

act in the strongest terms possible and calls on the

Security Council to take necessary measures to rectify the

situation.

With respect to Liberia, we welcome the recent

signing of an agreement by all the warring parties, in

which they have committed themselves to a programme

for the restoration of democracy to culminate in general

elections in a year’s time. The Economic Community of

West African States (ECOWAS) should be congratulated

for the efforts and sacrifices it has made in the search for

a lasting solution to the Liberian conflict. United Nations

involvement in the resolution of the Liberia conflict,

which has been minimal so far despite the magnitude of

the problem, should be enhanced. It is, therefore,

important that the United Nations should enhance its

support to the peace efforts in Liberia to ensure that the

momentum for peace is sustained.

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In the Middle East, the process towards durable peace

achieved another important milestone with last week’s

signing of a further agreement between Prime Minister

Yitzhak Rabin of Israel and Chairman Yasser Arafat of the

Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), extending

Palestinian self-rule over the West Bank. We commend the

vision and courage of these leaders and encourage them and

other leaders in the region to broaden the peace process.

The situation in Somalia continues to be a matter of

great concern to Kenya. As long as the situation in Somalia

remains unstable, the countries of the region, and in

particular my own, will continue to experience problems

associated with the influx of refugees and with a lack of

security in the border region. While we commend

humanitarian efforts in Somalia, we are deeply concerned

that there has been no tangible progress in national and

political reconciliation in that country. We call on the

factional leaders to put the interests of the Somali people

first and to be cognizant of the fact that a lasting solution

to the Somali problem lies with the Somali people and their

leaders.

The conflict in the former Yugoslavia poses one of the

greatest challenges to the capacity of the United Nations to

facilitate the search for durable peace. We appreciate all the

diplomatic initiatives which have been undertaken to bring

about a negotiated settlement, and we encourage all the

parties to intensify their efforts for lasting peace. I wish to

pay tribute to all United Nations military, civilian and

humanitarian personnel for the sacrifices they have made to

advance the cause of peace in that region. Kenya has made

a significant contribution to peace-keeping operations in the

former Yugoslavia, having contributed one battalion as well

as military observers and civilian police over the last four

years.

We welcome the establishment of the International

Commission of Inquiry to investigate the assassination of

the former Head of State and senior Government officials

and the subsequent massacres of civilians in Burundi. We

would also welcome the establishment by the Security

Council of a commission to oversee compliance with arms

embargos against groups and individuals undermining peace

and security in the Central African region.

Kenya stresses the importance of reconciliation and

tolerance and appeals to the international community to

continue to assist the countries of the Great Lakes region to

deal with the root causes of the problems that have

bedevilled them for many years, as well as with their

reconstruction efforts. In particular, the security of

populations and the resettlement of refugees must be

adequately and comprehensively addressed.

The results of the Review and Extension Conference

of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of

Nuclear Weapons, held in May this year, constitute a

significant contribution to the realization of a nuclear-free

world. The commitments and the security assurances

made by the nuclear-weapon States to the non-nuclear-

weapon States should strengthen the resolve of the

international community towards the total elimination of

nuclear weapons. It is therefore necessary that these

commitments be translated into binding international legal

instruments.

Kenya looks forward to the conclusion, by 1996, of

the comprehensive nuclear test-ban treaty. We join the

international community in reiterating the call for strict

observance of the moratorium on nuclear testing pending

the conclusion of that treaty.

The world economy as a whole continues to show

modest growth, with the highest performance being

experienced in South-East Asia. However, many

economies in the African region are still sluggish,

although there are signs of recovery. The continent

remains highly vulnerable to adverse international

economic policies, as well as natural calamities, owing to

its limited capacity to respond.

Kenya and many other African countries have

undertaken major political and economic reforms despite

the enormous short-term adverse effects on the vulnerable

social groups, particularly in regard to the escalating costs

of, for instance, education, health and housing. These

efforts, however, have been hampered by the decline in

both bilateral and multilateral financial support, resulting

in limited prospects for economic growth. In this regard,

we urge the international community to provide adequate

resources to support these reforms.

As the United Nations celebrates its fiftieth

anniversary it is imperative that development support be

accorded the priority that it obviously deserves. The

international commitment relating to the fulfilment of the

agreed target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product

should be given the necessary impetus to reverse the

declining trend. Kenya appeals to the industrialized

countries to meet the official development assistance

target and to provide new and additional resources to

finance the programmes adopted by the various United

Nations Conferences.

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Debt-servicing obligations should not become an

obstacle to efforts aimed at the creation of employment, the

reduction of poverty and social integration. While we

welcome the various measures taken by the international

community, on bilateral and multilateral bases, to mitigate

the debt burden, it is evident that these measures have

achieved only limited results. Kenya believes that a lasting

solution to the debt burden is a bold initiative for a more

effective reduction, or cancellation, of both the bilateral and

the multilateral debt of the heavily indebted low-income

countries, particularly in Africa.

While the liberalization of world trade, in the context

of the World Trade Organization, is expected to benefit the

international community, there are strong indications that

the results may not benefit all regions. The opening of the

African market to external competition has already put

serious strain on the fragile industrial sector of these

countries. Furthermore, the phasing out of the preferential

trade arrangements extended to African and other

developing countries poses a serious threat to their

traditional markets. African countries therefore need support

if they are to diversify their economies.

It is pertinent that “An Agenda for Development”

should embrace all the programmes to which the

international community has already committed, or will

commit, itself in the various international conferences,

including the Rio Conference on Environment and

Development, the Cairo Conference on Population and

Development, the Copenhagen Summit for Social

Development, the Fourth World Conference on Women and

the forthcoming United Nations Conference on Human

Settlements (HABITAT II), to be held in Istanbul, Turkey.

It is also important that HABITAT II come up with a

concrete plan of action that will give HABITAT, as the

United Nations agency responsible for human settlements,

an enhanced mandate, with an effective capacity to assist

Member States, particularly developing countries, to deal

with the increased problems of human settlements and thus

enable them to have adequate shelter — one of the

fundamental human rights.

It is imperative that the Agenda accord the highest

priority to the development of national and regional

capacities. It should also be people-centred, with the

emphasis on human-resources development, the application

of science and technology and the expansion of

employment and income-generating opportunities.

At the global level, the United Nations Economic

and Social Council should not only assume effective

coordination of the international policies and activities of

the specialized agencies but also ensure the mobilization

of resources for operational activities which are critical

for the realization of socio-economic development.

The fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations

provides a great opportunity for the international

community to focus constructively on the measures that

should be taken to revitalize the Organization on the basis

of the experience gained and the challenges ahead. Kenya

is of the view that the Organization has proved its

effectiveness and flexibility in dealing with complex and

wide-ranging international issues. The United Nations,

therefore, does not require radical transformation but,

rather, the strengthening and modification of its structures

and organs to enhance its effectiveness and

responsiveness to new priorities and strategies.

It is vital that the Organization continue to cater

adequately for both international peace and security and

cooperation for development, in accordance with the

Charter. Revitalization of the United Nations entails not

only the need to streamline the administrative structures

of the Organization but also the need to ensure that it is

provided with adequate resources, on a regular and

assured basis, to enable it to execute the mandates

entrusted to it by the Member States.

The report of the ad hoc Open-ended Working

Group on reform of the Security Council has highlighted

the pertinent areas requiring reform. There is consensus

on the need to expand the membership of the Council.

Kenya urges greater flexibility in the positions taken so

that agreement can be reached on the number and

distribution of the additional seats on the basis of

equitable geographical distribution for all categories. This

could be achieved through expansion of the membership

to include more countries from the regions that are

currently underrepresented and by effecting periodic

reviews of the permanent membership to take account of

the evolving realities of the world situation.

With regard to the question of financing, we are

concerned that the operations of the Organization have

been greatly hampered by the failure of many Member

States to honour their budgetary obligations in full and on

time. Irrespective of the outcome of the reform process,

the timely payment of United Nations apportionments will

continue to be of crucial importance to the financial

soundness of the Organization. The financing of the

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Organization is a collective responsibility of all the Member

States. Unilateral actions relating to budgetary contributions

are therefore inconsistent with the provisions of the Charter.

It is only through necessary and thorough assessment of the

individual countries’ capacity to pay that the scale of

assessments can be adjusted.

As the United Nations continues to introduce measures

to ensure the reduction of waste and to deal with the

financial crisis, it is imperative that the Organization ensure

the maximum and rational use of the existing facilities. All

meetings and conferences under the auspices of United

Nations bodies should, to the extent possible, be held in

Nairobi — the only United Nations Centre in the whole of

the developing world.

We are, indeed, concerned about the very low

utilization rate of the conference facilities in Nairobi

pointed out by the Secretary-General in his report on United

Nations Conference Services. In this regard, Kenya wishes

to see the United Nations make full use of the facilities

available at the United Nations Centre in Gigiri, the

headquarters of the United Nations Environment

Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Centre for

Human Settlements (HABITAT).

Kenya has offered to host in Nairobi the secretariat for

the Convention on Biological Diversity in order to make it

possible to utilize the expertise and capacity which UNEP

has developed over the years. We look forward to the

support of the international community in this regard.

Let us not lose the opportunity offered by the fiftieth

anniversary of the United Nations to renew our resolve to

make the Organization fulfil the aspirations of peace, hope

and stability that inspired the founding fathers of this

Organization. As we move into the next millennium, we

must endeavour to make this world a better place to live in.

Kenya will play its part as necessary.