Publications

On January 29, 2020, as part of its campaign for the UNSC seat, the Kenya Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a high-profile seminar on the “Global Political Trends and Implications for Peace and Security in Africa”. Perhaps, echoing its Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) which is anchored along the line’s regional security and stability, Kenya is seeking to ensure an inclusive global governance where “the UNSC works for all people.

Kenya won the African Union endorsement for a seat in the all-powerful United Nations Security Council (UNSC). But the Horn is proving a tough and dangerous neighborhood. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), now facing an existential challenge from the newly formed Horn of Africa Cooperation (HoAC), failed to get Kenya and Djibouti to reach consensus on who should represent the region.

But Kenya defeated Djibouti in the ensuing secret ballot on August 20, 2019 in Addis Ababa, garnering 37 votes against Djibouti’s 13. But Africa was struck mute when Djibouti reneged, jettisoning the African consensus and rescinding its earlier decision to respect the AU voting process in which it took part three times. As part of its campaign for the UNSC seat, this week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a high-profile seminar on global political trends and implications for peace and security in Africa, attended by scores of UNSC representatives from all corners of the globe in its port city of Mombasa on January 29, 2020.