President Kenyatta met Caribbean Head of States under the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECC) and the Caribbean Community (CARRICOM), in Bridgetown Barbados.
On the sideline of the meeting, the President reached out to 10 leaders from the region, asking them to support Kenya’s bid for a non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the period 2021 to 2022.
“Kenya’s candidature is informed by the critical role the UN Security Council plays in the maintenance of international peace and security,” President Kenyatta was quoted in a statement sent to newsrooms by the Presidential Strategic Communication Unit
At home, President Kenyatta has lobbied the East African Community and leaders of Botswana and Namibia.
Abroad, he has sent emissaries to meetings with leaders of China, Russia and the US, even though these were still non-committal.
Kenya is seeking to win the seat when the UN General Assembly takes up the vote in June next year, hoping to sit on the Council from January 2021 to December of the same year.
The UN Security Council, the most powerful organ of the UN, is charged with maintaining international peace and security. It is also charged with admitting new members to the UN and can approve any changes to the UN Charter, the formative law for the United Nations.
It has 15 members, but only five of them are permanent and hold veto powers, meaning they can stop a substantive decision such as sanctioning a Head of State seen as a violator of global peace. They include Russia, China, France, United Kingdom and the US.
There will be one seat up for grabs for the African continent when the UN General Assembly convenes for a vote in New York in June 2020.
About Author
