Remarks by H.E. Mr. Lazarus Ombai Amayo, MBS, Ambassador/Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kenya to the United Nations During the Presentation of Credentials to H.E. Mr. António Guterres, the Secretary General of the United Nations on Monday, 21st May, 2018, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York
Your Excellency The Secretary General,
I thank you for receiving me this afternoon to present my credentials. Allow me to first convey warm greetings from your friend, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya. The Head of State wishes you well in health and in your stewardship of the United Nations.
Kenya is committed to multilateralism in which the United Nations plays a central role in addressing global issues and concerns. We are, therefore, proud to be the only UN Headquarters in the global South. This is a function we have embraced with dedication; providing support and facilitation required for UNON in partnership with the UN. In this regard, we look forward to the continuation of your endeavours to improve the capacities of UNON and service delivery to Member States.
Secretary General, we commend you for your dedicated service to the United Nations and support your proposals for reforms aimed at making the organization more coherent and efficient in delivering services to Member States. We, therefore, look forward to having healthy discussions and welcome your efforts on restructuring peace and security, repositioning the UN Development System and management reforms.
As you are aware, Kenya and Portugal offered to host the next Oceans’ Conference in 2020. In preparation Kenya will host a High Level Sustainable Blue Economy Conference in Nairobi from 26th to 28th November, 2018, focusing on SDG 14 on Oceans and especially on what needs to be done after a number of its targets expire in 2020. We look forward to and hope we can count on your support and that of other members of the UN family towards hosting a successful conference.
Peace and Security remain important to us in the Horn of Africa. We, therefore, call for continued and enhanced collaboration of the UN with the AU, IGAD and the neighbouring countries, to find sustainable peace for the people acceptable for the people of Somalia and South Sudan. AMISOM and the peace process in South Sudan would benefit from more attention of the international community led by the United Nations since funding is a challenge at the moment.
Your Excellency, I now have the honor to present the letters of recall of my predecessor, Ambassador Macharia Kamau who has since been appointed Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and also the letter by which H.E. President Uhuru Kenyatta has appointed me to serve as Ambassador/Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kenya to the United Nations in New York.
I thank you.
