President Uhuru Kenyatta was on Wednesday, October 6, conferred with the prestigious Order of Freedom of Barbados award.
Kenyatta was awarded by Governor of Barbados Dame Sandra Mason at Government House in Bridgetown.
The Award is the highest state honor conferred on outstanding Barbadian citizens and foreign nationals for extraordinary service to Barbados, Caribbean Diaspora or to humanity at large.
Kenyatta is in the Caribbean nation to attend the ongoing United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) conference.
In the course of his visit, the Head of State handed over the leadership of the global multilateral trade and development institution to the Barbadian Prime Minister.
He also called for enhanced multilateral cooperation in addressing pressing global challenges such as climate change, financial crisis and global security.
The president expressed his misgivings on the unequal access to Covid-19 vaccines saying true multi-laterism should fully embrace the principles of inclusivity and equality applied on the basis of the uniqueness of every nation.
“We, therefore, need more multilateral cooperation that includes everyone because none of us is safe until all of us are safe. But as the Covid-19 vaccine distribution experience has demonstrated, simply saying everyone is included is insufficient to guarantee inclusivity,” the President stated.
Kenyatta noted that at least 50 per cent of the population was fully vaccinated in most high-income countries while the figure was less than 5 per cent in low-income nations.
He underscored the need for more cooperation at the regional level, saying when people sharing common challenges and similar aspirations come together, the impact is greater.
“Region-specific issues such as the impact of climate change on small island states are more effectively addressed through regional cooperation frameworks.
"Such cooperation helps to create economies of scale for smaller nations on issues such as trade and investment, and amplifies their voice at the global level."
