Kenya has challenged the international community to institute reforms in one of the principal organs of the United Nations. Kenya wants changes at the United Nations Security Council to make it “truly representative.”
The country’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Mike Kiboino avers that failure to take this action risks making the UNSC a liability to its primary mandate, which is to maintain international peace and security.
“Change might discomfort the beneficiaries of the skewed status quo. But it is time to take bold, ambitious, and decisive actions to make the Security Council equitably representative, a Security Council that has the trust and confidence of all member states, a Security Council that delivers effectively on its mandate, and a Security Council that has the trust and confidence of all member states,” he argued before the members
Speaking during the intergovernmental negotiations on the question of equitable representation and an increase in the membership of the Security Council, Amb, Kiboino maintained that equitable representation and inclusive participation are hallmarks of good governance whether at a national, regional, or multilateral level.
“On this score, our multilateral system is lagging as epitomized by the skewed configuration of the UN Security Council.” The envoy charged.
According to the Diplomat, the UNSC as currently constituted is increasingly divided, indecisive, and unable to effectively discharge its mandate citing the body’s “inability to address the ongoing conflicts around the world, including the worsening situation in the Middle East,” as testament of the worrying state of affairs.
While lauding the member states that regularly take a stand in solidarity with Africa, Amb. Kiboino stressed that Africa’s representation in the UN agency should be as envisaged by the African Common Position, enshrined in the Ezulwini consensus and the Sirte Declaration.
“We thank the many member states that stand in solidarity with Africa on this. Africa’s s inclusion will not only correct a historical injustice. It will also infuse new perspectives vital for addressing contemporary global challenges.”
At the same time, Kenya called for the abolition of the veto powers but argued that if it were to be retained, it should, as a matter of common justice and equity, be extended to new permanent members with all its prerogatives and privileges.
The reforms in the Security Council, in Kenya’s view, are urgently needed now than ever before.
“We owe it to ourselves and future generations to shape a Security Council that mirrors the present geopolitical realities capable of delivering effectively in the maintenance of international peace and security,” said Kiboino.
