Kenya has scaled up its campaign for the non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council ahead of the elections in September.
Foreign Affairs PS Macharia Kamau on Monday met representatives from Latin American and Caribbean countries to lobby ahead of the 74th session of United Nations General Assembly.
“@ForeignOfficeKE PS @AmbMKamau briefed the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC) on Kenya's candidature for the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) non-permanent seat for the term 2021-2022 #UNSC,” the Ministry tweeted on Tuesday.
Kenya has previously been a non-permanent member of the council twice in 1973-1974 and 1997-1998.
The current non-permanent African member states are Côte d’Ivoire and Equatorial Guinea, whose terms end this year, and South Africa whose term runs until next year.
Kenyan officials have been lobbying during state events, foreign visits and when receiving visiting dignitaries in the country.
In May, Foreign Affairs CS Monica Juma sought EU's support when she met Federica Mogherini, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, at her office in Nairobi.
During the inaugural Bilateral Strategic Dialogue in Washington, DC between May 7-8, Kenya also seized the opportunity to push for "collaboration in multilateral fora such as the United Nations as partnerships that contribute to a free and open world."
Other than it’s African peers and the US, Kenya has sought the support of China.
PS Kamau has previously said Kenya’s entry into the UN’s most powerful institution will help Nairobi focus on climate change, sustainable development and the region’s security and the war on terrorism.
On Friday, Amison troops contributing countries urged the UNSC to increase funding for the war on al Shabaab in Somalia in a political consultation meeting convened by Kenya in Nairobi.
The UNSC comprises five permanent members with veto powers — France, Russia, China, UK and the US.
Five of the 10 non-permanent member slots are shared between Asian and African countries.
However, Kenya and other African states have argued that the current arrangement does not reflect the current world order.
At a meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in May 2015, former Foreign Affairs CS Amina Mohamed argued the current UNSC structure “does not reflect the dynamics of the 21st century.”
“We believe Africa’s underrepresentation and non-representation in UNSC is discriminatory, unfair and unjust,” Mohamed said in a statement.
Among the countries, Kenya has sought support in this push is Russia.
(edited by O. Owino)
