Kenya to commemorate 60 years of Diplomacy

 

Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Korir Sing’Oei has outlined plans for commemorating 60 years of Diplomacy.

Dr Sing’Oei speaking to members of the Diplomatic Corps based in Nairobi at the during the United Nations Founding Day, PS Sing’Oei observed that Kenya had attained 60 years in active engagement in international diplomacy since independence and having established its foreign policy.

He noted that Kenya’s diplomatic journey remained instrumental in shaping the country’s identity on the global stage notwithstanding the achievements and lessons learned over the decades.

“As the country introspects into its history during the Diplomatic Week scheduled to take place from November 27 to December 7, 2024, Kenya remains committed to existing partnerships and will continue to explore new avenues for collaboration. Kenya recognizes that effective diplomacy plays a crucial role in national development,” the PS observed.

The Kenya @ 60 celebrations will be graced by President William Ruto as the Chief Guest and will bring together stakeholders from various sectors, including government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, the private sector, civil society, and the public.

The celebrations will see amongst others, the launch of the revised Foreign Policy which has been undergoing public participation over the past five months; the inaugural Ministerial Open Day where the public will engage with the Ministry and seek various services.

There will be exhibitions by various Governments through their embassies here in Nairobi as well as the Diaspora Engagement forum all matters diaspora will be discussed.

The Ministry will also unveil an Art Gallery at the Uhuru Gardens Monument and Museum showcasing rare and unseen photos dating to the pre- independence period.

Dr. Sing’Oei further sought the support of the Diplomatic community towards the Candidacy of the African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson nominee, Dr. Raila Odinga whose elections is slated for February 2025 during the AU Summit in Addis Ababa.

Dr. Sing’Oei spoke highly of Dr. Odinga who is recognised as a lifelong Pan-Africanist, visionary, and action-oriented leader with proven competence noting that Dr. Odinga’s leadership and exemplary career made him a perfect fit to sit at the helm of the AUC.

Dr. Odinga’s key focus and commitment is to harness Africa’s rich and vast human and natural resources for the benefit of Africa’s Peoples. Dr. Odinga has formulated priorities and strategies to address pressing challenges facing the continent, including: Economic Transformation; Enhancing Intra- Africa Trade; Financial Independence; Gender Equity and Equality; Agricultural Transformation; Climate Action; Harnessing Youth Potential; Continental Integration; and Peace and Security.

The Principal Secretary further elucidated on Kenya’s areas of concern at the recently concluded 79 th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) which included among others, Climate Change and its role in fueling conflicts and instability across the world, intensifying resource scarcity, displacing communities, and heightening competition over essential resources like water and land; the rapid advancements in technology that are outpacing the ability to harness them for good, including cybersecurity breaches and sophisticated cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, increasingly threatening national security and global stability.

Whilst in New York, Kenya called for the strengthening of the United Nations Offices in Nairobi, as well as the reformation of the International Finance and Security Architecture to make them representative, inclusive, transparent, effective, and accountable.

The Principal Secretary apprised the members of the Diplomatic Corps of Kenya’s concerns for the upcoming COP 29 scheduled to be held from 11 th to 22 nd November 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The PS alluded to the issue of Climate Finance and the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQGs) frameworks that would prioritize grants and highly concessional finance for climate-vulnerable nations as well as Cooperation under Article 6 of the

Paris Agreement calling for close cooperation towards developing high quality carbon markets through reviewable bilateral agreements and a centralized multilateral marketplace. Kenya will also seek a clear roadmap towards the phasing out of fossil fuels while encouraging investments in renewable energy and green minerals.

As part of developments towards the establishment of a United Nations Humanitarian and Logistics Hub at JKIA, Dogo Kundu and Naivasha Special Economic Zone, the PS confirmed that land had been allocated to United Nations Office in Nairobi as collaborative efforts were underway between the relevant government agencies.

The Director General of the United Nations Office in Nairobi, Dr. Hawa Bagura commended the Government of Kenya for its efforts towards ensuring Nairobi remained the preferred duty stations among all UN Offices.

The Nairobi facility presently caters to close to 20,000 staff and families with the numbers expected to raise exponentially as several of the UN Offices seek to transfer their offices and staff to Nairobi within the next year.

By Muraya Kamunde