Kenya, 1996

On behalf of the Government

of Kenya, I should like to convey to you, Sir, my sincere

congratulations and best wishes on your unanimous election

as President of this session of the Assembly. Your election

to this high office is a fitting testimony to Malaysia’s

commitment to, and support for, the United Nations. Your

country has been an ardent champion of the cause of

developing countries. I am confident that your sterling

qualities and versatile diplomatic capabilities will steer this

Organization to greater heights.

I also wish to pay tribute to your predecessor,

Mr. Diogo Freitas do Amaral, who presided over the last

session with great skill and dedication.

In the same vein, allow me to reiterate my

delegation’s appreciation to the Secretary-General for the

able manner in which he has borne the mantle of this

Organization. We wish to commend him for his

achievements during the last five years, despite the many

obstacles that the Organization has faced.

Since its inception, the General Assembly has

provided Member States with the opportunity to exchange

views on issues of common concern to the international

community, with a view to securing a stable and peaceful

world. To this end, I wish to assure you, Sir, of Kenya’s

commitment and determination to work together with

other Member States in order to realize the Organization’s

ideals and objectives. We believe that the success of the

United Nations depends on the collective resolve of its

Members.

The international community still faces a number of

conflicts that are of great concern, as they continue to

undermine international peace and security. We are

painfully reminded by history that good and evil coexist,

and that without societal restraints, humanity is in eternal

danger. As we approach the twenty-first century, and with

the cold war behind us, the international community now

faces numerous new and complex challenges posed by

globalization, fragmentation, democratization and

marginalization. There is a need to redesign the

international order to meet these challenges. In this

regard, we welcome the recent initiatives by the

Organization to strengthen its conflict-prevention

mechanisms and to promote preventive diplomacy and

confidence-building measures.

The scourge of armed conflicts in certain parts of

Africa constitutes one of the most urgent socio-political

problems facing the continent, resulting in a serious threat

to security, social cohesion and economic progress. These

conflicts have posed serious challenges primarily due to

the complexities associated with their internal character.

Inter- and intra-State conflicts have led to a multitude of

problems, including loss of life, destruction of property,

poverty, ethnic tensions and underdevelopment in the

countries where they occur.

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These conflicts have been compounded by natural

calamities resulting in a large number of refugees and

displaced persons. We wish to reiterate our call to the

international community to increase its support in

alleviating the suffering of these people.

Since the inception of the Organization of African

Unity (OAU) in 1963, we have witnessed no less than 20

full-fledged civil wars on the African continent. Over the

years, some of these wars have been resolved, while others

have intensified. We are pleased that peace has been

achieved in most parts of Africa. Sadly, however, there are

still some intractable conflicts going on, notably in Burundi,

the Sudan, Somalia and Liberia.

The conflict in Burundi, with its accompanying ethnic

character, is of great concern to Kenya and the countries of

the subregion. The recent coup d’etat in that country, which

overthrew a constitutionally established Government, has

compounded the political crisis. It negates the efforts of the

OAU to bring to an end the era of military coups which

have bedeviled the continent and remains an obstacle to

Africa’s quest for peace and stability.

In their efforts to find a lasting political settlement, the

countries of the subregion — Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania,

Uganda, Zaire and Kenya — held a series of meetings

culminating in the imposition of sanctions against that

sisterly country. These sanctions are aimed at putting

pressure on the new regime to restore a democratically

elected Assembly, unban political parties and enter into

unconditional negotiations with all parties to the conflict.

While we welcome the recent Security Council

resolution on Burundi, we appeal to the Council to take

more decisive steps to ensure that the leaders in Burundi

comply with the peace initiative of the second regional

summit on Burundi held in Arusha. In this regard, my

delegation wishes to take this opportunity to commend the

efforts of Julius Nyerere, former President of the United

Republic of Tanzania, who continues to facilitate the peace

process in Burundi. We take this opportunity to urge the

international community to render support to these

measures and initiatives.

The situation in Somalia continues to be worrisome.

The prolonged nature of this conflict, with its

accompanying negative effects on the neighbouring

countries, remains a matter of great concern to my country.

It is now time for the international community to bring

pressure to bear on the Somali faction leaders to come to

the negotiating table and reach agreement that will, once

and for all, relieve the agony and suffering of the Somali

people. Kenya will continue to provide its cooperation

and support.

With respect to the search for a durable peace in the

Sudan, Kenya, as the Chairman of the Intergovernmental

Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD)

subcommittee on the peace initiative on Sudan, is working

together with the other member States to find appropriate

remedies to the conflict. While there are no easy solutions

to this conflict, the countries of the region, which remain

seized of the matter, are hopeful that, through preventive

diplomacy, there will soon be an end to the atrocities and

that peace will be restored in the Sudan as well.

I wish to take this opportunity to express the

appreciation of my Government for the confidence the

OAU has bestowed upon my country by endorsing Kenya

as the sole candidate for the non-permanent seat in the

Security Council allocated to Africa for the period

1997-1998 at the elections to be held later this year. The

election of Kenya to the Council will provide us with the

opportunity to contribute even further to the continued

search for international peace and security.

The maintenance of international peace and security

is a collective responsibility of us all. It was with this in

mind that the General Assembly at its fiftieth session

urged the Conference on Disarmament to conclude the

negotiations for a comprehensive and truly verifiable

treaty banning all nuclear testing. It was also with this

understanding and expectation that Kenya and other

African countries affirmed their commitment to outlawing

nuclear testing and the possession of nuclear weapons on

the African continent. Towards this end, the Pelindaba

Treaty was signed in Cairo on 11 April 1996, declaring

Africa a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone. We commend

similar efforts that have been undertaken to declare other

regions nuclear-free zones.

Kenya reaffirms its commitment to total nuclear

disarmament. There is no longer any justification for the

possession of nuclear weapons nor for their testing. We

must work towards the achievement of the goal of

complete elimination of all nuclear weapons within a

given time-frame. Kenya therefore welcomes the recent

conclusion of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban

Treaty as an important step in this direction.

The United Nations has a critical role to play in

consensus- building in international economic cooperation.

Kenya is confident that the Organization will continue to

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uphold its principles of universality, sovereignty and

multilateralism in its decisions and operational activities.

We are of the view that the United Nations should be

strengthened in order effectively to carry out its mandate

and follow-up on the programmes of action that have been

agreed upon at the various international conferences. The

continuum of global conferences in recent years has

enabled us to create a new vision of cooperation towards

global development needs. Indeed, the most recent of these,

the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements

(Habitat II), which took place in Istanbul, Turkey, endorsed

the need for quick action in addressing the dual objectives

of adequate shelter for all and sustainable human

settlements. To realize these objectives, the Conference

called for new and additional resources and for the

strengthening of the United Nations Centre for Human

Settlements in order for it effectively to carry out its

mandate. In this context, Kenya believes that, for this to

become a reality, international commitment is imperative.

We also view the World Food Summit to be held in

Rome this year as a major United Nations conference that

will address itself to the primary needs of mankind by

ensuring food security and sustainable development. We

expect the international community to render appropriate

support in order to realize these objectives.

While most developing countries continue in their

strenuous economic reform efforts, the question of the debt

burden and debt servicing remains a major obstacle. Kenya

calls for an early consensus on debt relief, reduction and

possible cancellation. It is expected that the Bretton Woods

institutions will quickly conclude their consultations on the

steps to be taken to address the debt problem of developing

countries. These should include additional innovative

measures that would provide social safety nets to vulnerable

groups, particularly children, women and the poor.

My own country, Kenya, under the leadership of

President Daniel arap Moi, has undertaken far-reaching

political and economic reforms. These reforms have been

undertaken at painful costs and with adverse effects on the

population. However, after suffering a decline in economic

growth as a result of the stringent reform measures, our

economy is now on the path of recovery and has registered

a growth rate of between 5 and 6 per cent this year. The

Kenyan economy is now totally liberalized. All foreign

exchange restrictions have been abolished, making Kenya

one of the most attractive investment destinations anywhere

in the world. In order to achieve higher growth and to

maintain the development momentum, Kenya appeals for

the continued commitment, understanding and support of

our development partners.

We are also committed to regional integration and

the widening of economic space, designed to integrate

national economies into formal groupings, centring on

trading blocs. The inauguration of the East African

Cooperation in Arusha early this year by the three Heads

of State of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, marks an

important milestone in our efforts towards political and

socio-economic integration. This arrangement, which

brings together a population of over 70 million people,

has created vast opportunities for investment in our

subregion. It also constitutes an important building block

towards the realization of the African economic

community.

We have also recently revitalized IGADD and

expanded its mandate to focus on issues of development

and conflict prevention, management and resolution. The

revitalized IGADD will require full support from our

development partners for a speedy implementation of the

regional initiatives. In the wider subregion, the Common

Market for Eastern and Southern Africa continues to be

the main vehicle for regional integration in eastern and

southern Africa.

Kenya’s greatest asset is its environment. The herds

of wildlife which migrate through the plains, the

mysterious forests, the snow-peaked mountains, the

ancient lakes and the extraordinary landscapes of the

Great Rift Valley have attracted generations of visitors

and have become to many a symbol of the beauty and

purity of the African continent. Throughout the world,

space is being taken up for development purposes by

expanding populations. Inappropriate land practices run

counter to the conservation of natural resources. Precious

species are becoming either endangered or indeed extinct.

In Kenya, our policies have been designed to

preserve the environment as a common heritage for

mankind. We have resisted all pressures against

conservation and have created a sanctuary for a great

variety of biodiversity in all its grandeur. Furthermore, the

Government of Kenya has recently initiated major

innovative steps that will ensure the protection of the

ecosystem for the enjoyment of future generations. These

include public awareness, environmental education, and,

most importantly, the Great Rift Valley Conservancy

Programme, which will ensure integrated utilization of

land. We wish to appeal to the international community

to make available the necessary resources to augment

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such efforts, in order to realize the objective of sustainable

development as called for in Agenda 21.

In the face of the complex nature of emerging

problems in the world today, the demands on the United

Nations continue to increase as Member States expect more

and more from it. The pressures of facilitating conflict

resolution and peacekeeping, promoting sustainable

development and combating social problems associated with

poverty, disease and famine, have made the demands even

more urgent.

We therefore welcome efforts to reform the United

Nations so that it can serve the interests of Member States

more effectively. However, as the United Nations continues

in its reform endeavours, the General Assembly must be

given greater visibility and authority. The Security Council

must be reformed to reflect the principles of democracy,

transparency and equitable representation. My delegation

wishes to urge Member States to exercise greater flexibility

on the various innovative positions with regard to reform of

the Security Council in order to reach an early consensus.

Similarly, in undertaking financial reforms, bold and

practical measures are necessary to ensure adequate and

predictable resources. The obligation of Member States to

pay their assessed contributions for the regular and

peacekeeping budgets, in full, on time and without

conditions, cannot be overemphasized.

We wish to underscore that reform cannot be an end

in itself but must be seen as a necessary tool for enabling

the Organization to achieve its objectives in a more

efficient and cost-effective manner.

We welcome the recent arrangements to establish

Nairobi as the location of one of the four United Nations

Centres — the only one in the whole of the developing

world. We regret, however, that the two United Nations

programmes with their Headquarters in Nairobi continue to

suffer from lack of adequate funding and capacity

underutilization, despite their enormous potential.

The recent tendency to locate environment-related

secretariats away from Nairobi has had a negative effect on

the strengthening of the Centre and should be discouraged.

We are convinced that institutional linkage is a vital

component for the enhancement of efficiency and capacity-

utilization of the limited resources. In this respect, Kenya

wishes to record its appreciation to the Secretary-General

for holding the meeting of the Administrative Committee on

Coordination in Nairobi in April 1996 — a first for the

developing world. We in Africa were particularly proud to

host that high-level meeting, which took place

immediately after the Secretary-General launched the

United Nations System-wide Special Initiative on Africa.

Finally, we wish to take this opportunity to

commend the Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-

Ghali, for initiating far-reaching reforms within the

United Nations system since his assumption of the high

office of chief executive of the Organization. My

delegation wishes to express its satisfaction at his untiring

efforts to steer the Organization to greater heights as we

move into the next century.