Uhuru Kenyatta, Raila Odinga lead Kenyans in celebrating Kenya’s UNSC win
NAIROBI, Kenya June 18 – President Uhuru Kenyatta has welcomed Kenya’s resounding victory in Thursday’s second round of voting in the elections for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for 2021-22.
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Uhuru Kenyatta termed Kenya’s win as a “demonstration of the country’s growing profile and influence in the community of nations as a steadfast and dependable development partner.”
The Head of State thanked Kenya’s competitor in the election, the Republic of Djibouti for being a worthwhile opponent and the African Union for the endorsement as the continent’s flag bearer in the contest.
Kenya, President Uhuru Kenyatta said, will endeavor to consolidate and voice Africa’s position in the Security Council and will advance its 10-point agenda as outlined during the campaign period.
“Kenya will endeavor to consolidate and voice Africa’s position in the Security Council and will advance its 10-point agenda as outlined during the campaign period,” Uhuru Kenyatta said.
On his part, African Union Special Envoy on Infrastructure Raila Odinga congratulated the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the government for a formidable campaign.
“Kenya’s election to the U.N Security council marks one of the brightest points of our engagement with the world. It is also a bold manifestation that with solidarity, Africa, which backed Kenya, can have its way on the global stage,” Raila said.
“This vote is also a major statement on how this country has presented itself to the world, as a nation determined to find homegrown solutions to challenges to peace, stability, and prosperity and in the process provide a pragmatic example to the rest of the world”.
Kenya was declared the winner on Thursday night, after beating Djibouti with 129 votes against 62 in the second round of voting at the UNSC headquarters in New York City.
Kenya enjoyed the support of the African Union, even as Djibouti pushed to have the seat due to Nairobi’s past participation on the Security Council and the principle of rotation.
French-speaking Djibouti and English-speaking Kenya both highlighted their roles in seeking peace in the Horn of Africa, as well as their contributions to UN peacekeeping options.
Kenya won largely due to its support for refugees from Somalia and South Sudan, as well as to its support of the two countries’ fragile governments.
During an initial vote Wednesday, Kenya was unable to secure the required two-thirds majority after garnering 113 votes against Djibouti’s 78, prompting a repeat poll Thursday.
The UN General Assembly elected on Wednesday four new members of the Security Council for 2021 and 2022, with Canada losing out again and the battle for the African seat going to a second round.
India, Mexico, Norway, and Ireland were chosen as non-permanent members, while Djibouti and Kenya — both of which failed to receive the two-thirds vote majority required to win — will go to a second round of voting on Thursday.
Canada was beaten once again for one of the Western seats, by Ireland and Norway, despite a long and star-studded campaign, a result likely to be a blow to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
In the Asia-Pacific region, India — which has been trying unsuccessfully to win a permanent seat in an expanded Security Council — ran unopposed to win 184 votes out of the 192 countries that participated in the election.
The result means that India will now have a seat at the same table as China, just days after the two nations disputed their Himalayan border, trading blame for a brawl that left at least 20 Indian soldiers dead.
Mexico, which also ran unopposed, earned 187 votes.
For Europe and the Western seats, the competition was more customary.
Canada — already stung by a defeat in 2010 during its last bid for the Security Council, when the General Assembly chose Portugal instead — was dominated by Norway, with 130 votes, and Ireland, which had 128, the minimum number required to win.
Trudeau had invested heavily in the latest Security Council effort, with the defeat potentially causing him political embarrassment at home.
“As we move forward, we remain committed to the goals and principles that we laid out during this campaign,” Trudeau said in a statement, adding that Canada would “continue to play a vital role in advancing global cooperation and building a more peaceful, inclusive and sustainable world.”
Hoping to woo delegates, both Canada and Ireland had wielded star power: Celine Dion sang in New York City to promote Canada at the UN, while U2 performed a concert in the Big Apple for Ireland.
“Campaigning for a UNSC seat involves endless lobbying, entertaining and worrying that the ambassador who just promised you a vote is a liar,” tweeted Richard Gowan, an expert on the world body at the International Crisis Group.
Fearing fraud or manipulation, the General Assembly did not vote electronically, even though the United Nations is mostly operating virtually until the end of July due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Instead, each of the 193 delegations had a chance to cast a secret ballot at a designated time scattered throughout the day in the famous Assembly Hall. Each new Security Council member needed to win two-thirds of the votes cast.
The Security Council has 10 non-permanent members in addition to the veto-wielding Big Five — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.
The General Assembly also elected Turkish diplomat Volkan Bozkir as its president for the 2020-21 session on Wednesday.
Bozkir was the only candidate running, but Armenia, Cyprus, and Greece — all of which have historically tense relations with Turkey — opposed him, meaning he could not be elected by consensus and nations had to cast votes.
