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President Uhuru Kenyatta announced that Kenya was prepared to take over the presidency of the United Nations Security Council during his address to the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, September 22, 2021.
He also detailed his plan for the most powerful body when Kenya takes over in the month of October.
"In October 2021, Kenya will assume the Presidency of the Security Council. During that period, I will chair several signature-events. These include; one, how we can make an appreciation for diversity, a core aim in promoting state building and the pursuit of peace.
"Second, how illicit small arms and light weapons impact peacekeeping operations; and third is how to better support and promote women peacekeepers and peace builders," President Kenyatta said.
He noted that the unequal trade and investment patterns, the outflows of illicit finance and inflows of illicit small arms and light weapons, the extraction versus production mentality, are all escalating global inequality, fragility, conflict and violence.
"Many of the tools at our disposal to deal with these challenges are not living up to their promise. One such core tool is the United Nations Security Council in which Kenya has been an elected an active member since the beginning of the year," the head of state added.
He noted that many countries are witnessing state fragility that leads to protracted crises which is driven mainly by inability of countries to manage diversity within nations.
This results in militant and terrorist groups which create social discontent and control large territories within affected countries.
He said that one of the most important tasks leaders can undertake is to increase the competence of states to manage both political and social diversity within their nations.
"Indeed, countries must do so in a way that strengthens the trust between citizens and public institutions and citizens and their leaders. I believe that the tough experiences that Kenya has had, and our determination to rise above them, are a good case study for other states," Kenyatta told the UNGA.
About the UN Security Council Presidency
The presidency of the United Nations Security Council is responsible for leading the United Nations Security Council.
It rotates among the 15 member-states of the council monthly. Ireland is the current holder of the office in September, after which Kenya will take over in October.
The head of the country's delegation is known as the President of the United Nations Security Council.
The presidency has rotated every month since its establishment in 1946, and the president serves to coordinate actions of the council, decide policy disputes, and sometimes functions as a diplomat or intermediary between conflicting groups.
Kenya's History of UN Security Council Presidency
Feb 1973 - represented by Joseph Odero-Jowi a Kenyan diplomat who represented Kenya in the United Nations for several years, working to bring the United Nations Environment Programme's headquarters to Nairobi
May 1974 - represented by Charles Gatere who was a Permanent Representative of Kenya to the UN.
Feb 1997 - represented by Njuguna M. Mahugu who also served as a Permanent Representative of Kenya to the UN.
May 1998 - represented by Njuguna Mahugu and Bonaya Godana who was a minister for foreign affairs.