President Uhuru Kenyatta has urged the Caribbean community to support Kenya’s bid for the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) non-permanent seat for the period 2021 to 2022.
The President made the appeal as he pitched for closer cooperation among African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries to spur development and economic growth.
The Head of State, who was accompanied by Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma, spoke during a meeting with leaders of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) in Bridgetown, Barbados.
“Kenya’s candidature is informed by the critical role the UN Security Council plays in the maintenance of international peace and security,” the President stated as he assured that Kenya would continue to play a leading role in peace, security and conflict management in the Horn of Africa region and other parts of the world.
In the spirit of closer collaboration between Kenya and the Caribbean community, President Kenyatta asked the OECS to support Kenya's bid to host the Global Service Delivery Model (GSDM) as recommended by the UN Secretary General.
He stated that Kenya was picked after it met the threshold on availability of space, qualified personnel, employees’ safety, location and affordable costs.
The President also called on the Eastern Caribbean States to establish diplomatic missions in Kenya as well as at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN-Habitat to facilitate frequent consultations and follow up on environmental and human settlement matters.
Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley stated that the meeting between President Kenyatta and the CARICOM leaders had opened a new chapter of cooperation between Kenya and the Caribbean.
PM Mottley assured President Kenyatta that Barbados was ready for diplomatic representation in Nairobi.
To further cement relations between the Caribbean and the East African Community, President Kenyatta singled out trade, investment, tourism and cultural cooperation as some of the key drivers of the collaboration that should be crafted through a regional Free Trade Area (FTA) under appropriate World Trade Organization rules.
