United Nations Welcome to the United Nations. It's your world.

Statement by H.E Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta, President and Commander In-Chief of the Defence Forces of the Republic of Kenya during the General Debate of the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly

Wednesday, 26 September 2018
Presenter: 
H.E Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta, President and Commander In-Chief of the Defence Forces of the Republic of Kenya
Location: 
New York

I warmly congratulate you Madam President, on your election to preside over the 73rd Session of the General Assembly. I have no doubt that the experience from your distinguished career in the service of the Republic of Ecuador will be invaluable to your new responsibility.

I also note with appreciation that your strategic priorities for the 73rd session namely, strengthening multilateralism, catalysing the wellbeing of all persons and a sustainable planet, as well as building a stronger, more efficient multilateral system, converges with Kenya’s aspirations. It is my pleasure, then, to reaffirm my Government’s complete commitment to our shared vision and support to you during your tenure.

The 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly is the second one to be held during the tenure of Secretary-General Guterres who has already spoken publicly about the financial situation of the UN and has even spelt out reforms that need to be executed to ensure optimal utilization of our finances. 

I applaud the Secretary-General for his efforts and courage to cut costs and for his commitment to ensure the UN’s resources are better managed.  IndeedI am convinced part of these objectives will be achieved with the adoption of the proposals made in regard to the adoption of the Global Service Delivery Model In this regard, it is my hope that Kenya will have the privilege to host one of the proposed three such centres.

I also applaud the commitment of the UN staff who are engaged daily in tackling a myriad of challenges that are greater than any one country or region can solve on its own.

Kenya strongly supports the General Assembly’s embrace of better alignment in the mandates of urbanization, human settlement, and environmental governance. This will enable the UN Human Settlements Programme and the UN Environmental Programme to fully deliver on their role as global focal points on human settlements and the environment matters across the UN system.

Madam President, even as we speak of important reforms at the United Nations, we must recognize that the need for reforms is much broader and of great significance.

In almost every part of the world, a growing lack of trust is opening a dangerous gap between citizens and their governing institutions. This is partly a result of the impact of a number of significant factors. Key among them is the growing demand by the citizenry for accountability, occasioned by an attendant awareness of the gap between available resources and the provision of services to the populations.  These demands are also fueled by a growing awareness of the scourge of corruption and wastage of public resources, and their negative effects on the lives and hopes of people.

Never before in human history, due to the benefits of accessible information, have so many people known how public trust is undermined by the acts of commission or omission by a few individuals and networks, both in the private and public sector. Weak systems of governance are manipulated and exploited for the gain of predatory interests at the expense of the common man. The free press and social media are rife with news of outright fraud, cynical conflicts of interest, and financial arrangements that privatize gains during prosperous times then socialize losses during economic catastrophe.

Added to individual corruption, major corporations are misrepresenting their earnings to deny governments revenues needed for investment in public goods. The extraction of mineral and other resources continues to be subject to corrupt dealings that not only deny communities and countries any benefit but that almost routinely lead to violence and instability. These dealings, have over several decades been clothed with the garments of legality, institutionalizing the exploitation by cartels and oligopolies that are pillaging Africa and other underdeveloped regions of all their natural wealth.  Hence, the popular theorizing of Africa’s resource curse.

It has become clearer to citizens all over the world that what is enabling the illegal and illicit conduct of corrupt individuals and companies is a globalized financial and legal system. Its impact is worldwide but is probably leads to the most suffering in Africa. 

There is increasing evidence that Africa is a net exporter of much-needed capital to the world through illicit outflows. Conservative estimates indicate that between 1980 and 2009, illicit money outflows from Africa ranged between 1.2 to 1.4 trillion dollars, roughly equal to Africa’s current GDP and surpassing by far the money it received from outside over the same period.

Every illicit dollar that leaves Africa goes somewhere. Most often to where the rest of the money from tax evaders and criminals is hidden. Africans suffer as a result, but the irony is that what is done to Africa, eventually is done to the rest of the world.

The present system of transferring and laundering illicit capital is enabling corrupt networks all over the world to illegally acquire in one country, while being welcomed with open arms as investors in another country. The same system is used by drug cartels and even terrorist organizations. Collectively, drug addiction, violent extremism, international crime and terrorist actions result visit misery and hurt to millions of victims all over the world.

Madam President, the most dramatic manifestation of the destructive impact of the result misery of the effect of the crimes above is the loss of trust in governing institutions at the national, regional and global level. As people observe the impunity of the corrupt, they increasingly feel that the economic systems are rigged against their hopes. The trust deficit grows.

Often times, institutions of government have become vehicles to capture for ethnic or racial interests articulated by populists and extremists who thrive in chronic instability and drive it forward with their incitement. When networks and cartels in government capture the state for their own selfish gain, and represent themselves as champions of an ethnic or religious group, the result is all too often civil strife and civil war. In such an atmosphere, the result of a political competition can begin to seem like an existential threat to groups and their members.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The fragility of our world is also manifest in instability and conflicts, as in the case of both Somalia and South Sudan.

In Somalia, AMISOM is a unique regional effort that has deeply degraded one of al Qaeda’s most ambitious affiliates. Kenya has been part of this journey from the start. It was in Nairobi where a transitional federal state was negotiated into existence, with the material and moral support of the Kenyan people. We have never wavered. Kenyans have lost lives and property in pursuit of peace and stability in Somalia, and we appreciate our regional and international colleagues and partners. In Somalia, a historic chapter on Africa’s will to peace and security is being written. We appreciate the partners standing with the region.

The job is not yet done. We must ensure military success over al Shabaab if other political and economic solutions are to take firm root. So far, the troop contributing continue to bear a disproportionate burden.  We have consistently sought for international support that is commensurate with the threat scenario, including in the form of enablers and force multipliers. These have not been forthcoming. What the international community is doing with Somalia is not good enough. We understand that these are difficult times economically, but global terrorism must be faced boldly if we have learnt any real lessons in the last 20 years. AMISOM needs support, let us make it happen.

In building peace there are no silver bullets, the process of bring stability and peace to South Sudan requires commitment to walk closely with the South Sudanese parties particularly now after the signing of the revitalized peace agreement. Kenya is proud for having walked with Sudan and South Sudan in their pursuit of peace and stability. We have always known and firmly believe that the constancy of our effort would yield the fruit of a prosperous and free South Sudan.

We are calling on all of you to join us in this endeavor for peace and stability in South Sudan, I appeal to you, neighbours, donors, international agencies and friends of South Sudan all to redouble your efforts and support this cause end the suffering of the children, women and men of South Sudan.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Allow me to turn to the global sphere which has also not been spared of the challenges of today. Multilateralism is under severe strain – as evidenced by our global trading and economic management system. Rarely has the system of trade and security that was established following the Second World War, under the aegis of the United Nations, been under greater strain. The populism and extremism unleashed at the national level has brought forward powerful constituencies that want a dismantling of the global order.

I believe that the most urgent political task in the world today is to close the trust gap between people and governing institutions. Governments are not owed trust by citizens; that trust must be won and protected. It is not an exaggeration to say that on this issue revolves the future of global stability and the continuity of many states.

Your Excellencies, Madam President, there are bold solutions that we must embrace to succeed.

We have to fight impunity and corruption. Seriously and without fear or favour. In Kenya, we are undertaking an aggressive campaign against fraud and abuse of public trust. We have reached out to our partners in Switzerland and the United Kingdom to take action against transfers of illegal proceeds of corruption to their banking and financial systems. We will pursue more such bilateral agreements.

They must be accompanied by determined reforms, that are subject to clear timelines and standards, in the multilateral system that combat systemic corruption, money laundering and the offshoring of illicit outflows. The single overarching aim must be to make it exceedingly difficult to transfer and launder illegally acquired wealth in any part of the world.

All UN bodies should be tasked with detecting corruption in their different focus areas and promoting the skills and systems to combat it. In the understanding that honest, transparent and responsive government is fundamental to the achievement of their aims.

We must create a stronger understanding of the presence and impact of corruption in their different focus areas.

The gap in trust at the global level is aimed squarely at the leadership and processes of the multilateral system — as reflected in the UN Security Council, the Bretton Woods institutions and other parts of the system. In the years following the Second World War, the present status quo was functional and understandable. No more almost 75 years later. The global governance system must reform if it is to be relevant and effective.

The clearest sign that change is real will be in reforms to the membership of the UN Security Council. Kenya joins in the demand for two permanent seats for Africa — with all the rights and prerogatives of current members, including the right of veto, and additional non-permanent seats. As we all know, Africa is under represented in the non-permanent category of the Security Council and not represented at all in the permanent category.  This historical injustice is a clear indication of the skewed system that has perpetuated an exclusive model of governance that fuels the trust gap between nations. The governance, leadership and employment in UN funds, programmes and agencies must also become more noticeably inclusive of the global south and Africa.

Kenya is a proud host to the only UN global headquarters in the global South that includes the UNEP and UN HABITAT. We are strongly committed to supporting their mandates and effectiveness. And we believe, strongly, that the multilateralism that would headquarter major organizations in Africa and the Global South is what the world needs. Global decision-making needs more of Africa, if the world is to respond wisely to the demographic and economic shifts underway.

Your Excellencies, without Governments and the international system addressing the broadening deficits in fairness, inclusivity, and anti-corruption, populism, radicalization, civil strife and political instability will continue to destabilize and destroy.

Today’s problems, risks and threats are complex and call for more not less cooperation, more not less observance of the rule of law, more not less negotiations, we need a rule based multilateral system.

We are in a decisive moment, and Kenya will play its part to be a champion for change, and I welcome all of you in a campaign for our collective benefit.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

To conclude, the sea is increasing being seen as a sustainable source of food, jobs and prosperity to the growing populations of the world. It is with this in mind that Kenya and Canada will be co-hosting the first ever Global Conference on Sustainable Blue Economy in November this year, in Nairobi. I welcome you to this conference and its deliberations on how we can access and harness financing, technology and skills to innovations as well as capacity building, to allow us to turn the blue economy into a driver of millions of jobs, source of food and sustainable, shared prosperity. We will be greatly honoured to host you in Nairobi.

Thank you.

And God bless you all!