Position paper for Kenya
| Committee: | GA First |
| Topic: | Reducing space threats through norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviours |
| Paper text: | |
| Although known as the final frontier, that should not delay the urgency with which we act to
address the threats that could come from space. Kenya has been a pioneer and champion of
space exploration in the African continent and understands the stakes for maintaining outer
space as a peaceful, sustainable, and secure domain. The Republic of Kenya recognizes the
increasing militarization of outer space and the proliferation of activities that generate
debris, which threatens not only the safety of satellites but also the development of nations
that depend on them for communication, agricultural, disaster management, and defense.
As a party to the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 and guided by the principles of the United Nations Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), Kenya, as a developing space actor, prioritizes equitable access to space resources and emphasizes the need for transparency, cooperation, and responsible conduct by all states. Through the Kenya Space Agency (KSA) and the African Union Space Policy, Kenya continues to advance regional partnerships and promote responsible space activity as part of Africaâs growing role in global space governance. Kenya supports the creation of binding international norms to prevent debris-generating anti-satellite tests and encourages the further development of confidence-building measures to address this vital issue. Kenya also proposes the creation of a database where nations can voluntarily share information on space operations and mitigation efforts. To build capacity collaboratively, Kenya advocates for the development of an International Space Education and Training Exchange Program to connect emerging space nations with established agencies for technical training, research exchanges, and policy collaboration. These steps, rooted in cooperation and accountability, can make outer space a shared and secure environment for generations to come. | |
| Committee: | GA First |
| Topic: | The illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects |
| Paper text: | |
| As a country with a major percentage of civilians owning illegal firearms, the Republic of
Kenya recognizes the importance of eradicating the illicit trade of small arms and light
weapons. The growing availability of illegally traded and owned firearmsâparticularly pistols
and other small armsâposes a threat to local, regional, and international security.
Recognizing the prevalence of this issue and in hopes of combating it, Kenya has taken several actions towards preventing the illicit trade of small arms and light weapons. For example, Kenya is a signatory to the Nairobi protocol for the prevention, control, and reduction of small arms and light weapons in the Great Lakes region and the Horn of Africa. This treaty is targeted at eradicating illicit manufacturing and trade of weapons by promoting cooperation, increasing information sharing, and improving law enforcement accountability and efficient management of legally owned firearms. Furthermore, Kenya is a founding member and host of the Regional Centre on Small Arms and Light Weapons (RECSA). This organization aids with the implementation of the Nairobi protocol, offers weapons management training, and assists with the destruction of seized firearms. Kenya calls upon all UN member states to strengthen collective efforts to combat this international issue. Foremost, Kenya calls on all states to sign the UN Firearms Protocol to ensure international standards that boost the security of manufacturing and distributing firearms, as well as improving the effectiveness of discovering and seizing illicit firearms. Furthermore, Kenya urges full compliance with the International Tracing Instrument to improve global capacity for tracing and record keeping. Finally, Kenya recommends the establishment of regional coordination bodies like RECSA that would enhance cooperation, training, and information sharing among neighboring states. Combating the illicit trade of firearms requires not only strong national commitment but also improved multilateral collaboration. | |
| Committee: | GA Second |
| Topic: | Role of the United Nations in promoting development in the context of globalization and interdependence |
| Paper text: | |
| Pursuant to our shared 2030 Agenda, the Republic of Kenya urges greater economic and
policy cooperation among all member states. While the isolative actions of certain member
states threaten to derail our efforts, we must not waver in our commitment to fulfilling our
core obligation: delivering to future generations a safe and sustainable world, free from
hunger, poverty, and war.
As some member states threaten to eschew multilateralism in a misguided attempt to elevate their own private interests, Kenya and many other member states recognize that many of our own domestic issues are symptomatic of instability present in vulnerable developing states, must bind ourselves closer together. Kenya calls upon all member states, particularly those who threaten global unity, to recognize the problems of their neighbors as their own. Kenya wishes to highlight the critical role of the United Nations in promoting development through policy coordination and advocacy with a focus on sustainable development goals (SDGs), through ensuring the voices of developing nations are heard. Additionally, Kenya calls upon the United Nations to utilize previously established capacity- building tools to continue supporting efforts in areas such as governance reform, environmental conservation, and health system strengthening. To realize our core obligation, member states must support these initiatives through greater financial contributions. Kenyan financial contribution towards SDGs has grown from $333.8 million in 2022 to $528.6 million in 2024. Kenya has also extended existing stipends through 2028 that support United Nations agencies in coordinating efforts to realize the SDGs. We have also made progress in economic growth and infrastructure, and social development through initiatives such as the Vision 2030 and the Big Four Agenda. While recognizing the challenges posed by globalization, such as economic reorientation and environmental damage, the Republic of Kenya urges all member states to support the United Nations as a forum for the economic and policy cooperation necessary to achieve the SDGs. | |
| Committee: | GA Second |
| Topic: | Protection of global climate for present and future generations of humankind |
| Paper text: | |
| The Republic of Kenya firmly believes the global climate crisis must be addressed urgently in
light of the current intensity of environmental circumstances, including extreme weather
events and long-term environmental changes. Kenya remains deeply committed to the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly SDG 13, which calls for action to combat
climate change. We applaud UNHCR initiatives in arid and semi-arid regions in the intensified
poverty-stricken areas of our nation, which have helped reduce environmental degradation
and strengthen resilience within communities through the Operational Strategy for
Environmental Sustainability (2022-2025).
Kenyaâs National Action Plan to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (NAP) reinforces our dedication to improving public health and promoting sustainable development in alignment with SDG 1. Likewise, the National Policy on Climate Finance demonstrates Kenyaâs efforts to integrate water modelling and forecasting projects, promote energy efficiency, and enhance resilience amidst environmental threats. However, our commitment to environmental conservation continues to be strained by financial constraints that limit the implementation of climate-focused initiatives. Kenya calls for increased economic support and partnerships to improve the monitoring of food- security systems during flooding, strengthen multi-year food and cash mechanisms based on early warning data, and ensure climate-proofing of infrastructure and water management systems. Achieving these objectives requires mobilizing the $62 billion funding needed under the Paris Agreement to support innovative and sustainable solutions. Kenya believes that strengthening local climate innovation institutions, such as the Kenya Climate Innovation Center, will enhance internal and regional partnerships across Africa. We further encourage member states to invest in the transfer of technology, renewable energy initiatives, and community-based adaptation programs that collectively contribute to reducing the worldâs heavy reliance on carbon-based energy sources. We affirm that future generations depend on the action taken today and remain committed to advancing climate adhering to advancing climate action and sustainable growth for all humankind. | |
| Committee: | GA Third |
| Topic: | Universal realization of the right of peoples to self-determination |
| Paper text: | |
| The International Community is a diverse body of members, each with different goals, each with the right to sovereignty. While the International Community has witnessed the growing and waning of national identity as states grow stronger and seek to achieve their goals in the international arena, states have often found ways to come together in support of the protection of the rights of peoples. As a state that underwent a peaceful process of gaining independence, we cannot emphasize enough the importance of defending the rights of people, as is evident in the right to self-determination and independence. Not only is this in line with the principles and founding charter of the African Union, but this also helps foster conditions conducive to economic growth and development. As a country with deep appreciation for history and a responsibility to support Pan-African ideals as one of the founding members of the African Union, we stand with a plan for autonomy that is rooted in and conducive to peaceful coexistence. In our statement from discussions of the Fourth Committee on Special Political and Decolonization Matters of the General Assembly, we reaffirmed the Western Sahara issue as more than a mere territorial matter; it is a question of justice, self- determination, and human dignity. Our representative had noted that Security Council Resolution 2756 (2024) reflects the continued support for a lasting and mutually acceptable solution that guarantees the Sahrawi peopleâs right to self-determination in accordance with the principles of the Charter. As such, we maintain a firm stance on the importance of the recognition and protection of the universal realization of the right of people to self- determination. We support and seek to advance policies that protect rights such as economic empowerment, digital equity, and solidarity as enumerated by Ambassador Martin Kimani, the chair of the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. We support freedom, peace, and reconciliation that are not achieved by force, but through dialogue and respect for human dignity | |
| Committee: | GA Third |
| Topic: | Improvement of the situation of women and girls in rural areas |
| Paper text: | |
| In Kenyaâs rural areas, women and girls are impacted by many treatments and societal norms that decrease their ability to receive an education, be financially independent, and carve out a respected place in society. This situation is multifaceted and often cyclical. According to the resolution from the eightieth session of the UN General Assembly, through the Stand for Her Land Campaign, countries, including Kenya, have improved land ownership rights for women and worked for legal reforms to alleviate discriminatory norms. Also, as stated by their page on rural women, âUN Women supports the leadership and participation of rural women in shaping laws, strategies, policies and programmes on all issues that affect their livesâ (CSW). Kenya is committed to that mission. In the 2010 Kenyan constitution, women are guaranteed the same land and property rights. This is a significant way to combat rural poverty for women and allows them to be financially independent. Another way that the Kenyan government is working towards a country without gender inequality is through the 2019 National Policy on Gender and Development (NPGD). This is a policy framework that outlines the integration of gender concerns into a broad range of sectors. For women and girls in rural areas, many of the issues addressed in the NPGD are significant to improving their situation. One barrier that has been seen to have a large impact on girls' ability to receive an education is access to menstrual products. The NGPD calls for a solution: âProvide personal and menstrual hygiene information, standard facilities, and allocate a budget for the provision of sanitary towelsâ (NPGD). Improving access to education is a monumental way to help girls in rural areas become and be seen as independent and equal members of society. | |
| Committee: | GA Plenary |
| Topic: | Our ocean, our future, our responsibility |
| Paper text: | |
| The Republic of Kenya emphasizes the importance of the worldâs oceans as a whole system for humanity, serving as a major source of oxygen, food security, and economic prosperity. Yet, the health of our oceans faces growing threats from habitat loss, overfishing, and climate change, which impact warming and acidification, resulting in ecosystem degradation. The United Nationsâ declaration âOur Ocean, Our Future, Our Responsibilityâ gives the shared duty of the international community to safeguard the oceans for future generations. Our country hosted the First Sustainable Blue Economy Conference (SBEC) in 2018, marking a milestone in the global conversation on integrating ocean conservation with economic growth. Furthermore, as a member of the High-Level Panel for a sustainable ocean economy, Kenya continues to align its national policies with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly on mobilizing finance for ocean action, a crucial step toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life below Water). We reaffirm the importance of regional and global cooperation in combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing by taking measures to enhance the security and safety of our collective waters. Our country has prioritized Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance (MCS) to promote the conservative management and development of aquatic resources for community livelihoods. Our government enhances institutional capacity for licensing fishing vessels and surveillance, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable fisheries management and combating illegal fishing practices. We believe that the responsibility for ocean protection should be shared equally among all nations. We urge the United Nations to serve as a repository of best practices, research, and tools to help businesses measure and improve environmental impact. Through this, we can enhance risk preparedness and attract investment into innovative blue economy solutions. | |
| Committee: | GA Plenary |
| Topic: | Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations |
| Paper text: | |
| Kenya believes that measures must be taken to strengthen humanitarian coordination
worldwide, especially in the Global South. Humanitarian assistance is often reactionary,
relying on timely responses for success. However, responses can be delayed or misdirected
due to the uncertainty of central actors or agencies acting in response to ever-changing
conflict or unpredictable natural disasters. We believe that the international community
should be devoted to a proactive relief policy that allows for assistance to be distributed in a
rapid and effective manner. As conflict and disaster persist and political attitudes towards
foreign aid change, there is a need for more efficient and sustainable humanitarian
responses drawing from the United Nationsâ robust aid agencies and their regional
establishments, among which Kenya is a regional head, hosting offices and regional
headquarters for agencies like the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, United
Nations Children's Fund, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development in our
capital city, Nairobi. Kenya implores the international community to reaffirm its support for
the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), while
advocating for the increased empowerment of regional bodies under the OCHA to take
timely action.
We reaffirm and acknowledge General Assembly Resolution 46/182, which recognizes the need for a central coordinating body in humanitarian assistance that prioritizes efficiency and interagency communication. Additionally, we support the resolutionâs call for regional cooperation and national foresight into emergency response. Although the OCHA has played an important role in the UNâs mission to effectively respond to humanitarian crises, we believe that roadblocks still exist in achieving optimal outcomes due to the bodyâs reliance on voluntary contributions and strong central authority. These features of the OCHA make it difficult for regional and national actors to act quickly or even proactively. This is why we commend the Philippinesâ Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, which âaims to strengthen the capacity of the national government and the local government units, together with partner stakeholders, to build the disaster resilience of communities, and to institutionalize arrangements and measures for reducing disaster risks.â We commend the actâs support for national and local autonomy in conjunction with existing institutions and stakeholders. We believe that aspects of the act can be implemented into international humanitarian protocol, allowing for regional and national bodies to have greater oversight while continuing their relationship with international agencies to properly address emergency humanitarian assistance. | |
| Committee: | IAEA |
| Topic: | Nuclear security |
| Paper text: | |
| The Republic of Kenya stands firmly in support of strengthening the IAEAâs activities and
implementation of programs to advance nuclear science and technology. Kenya recognizes
the important role that the advancement of nuclear science plays in realizing the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) and promoting the well-being of people everywhere, in addition
to its contribution to strengthening continued efforts in nuclear non-proliferation and
peaceful use. It is time that the IAEA committed to broadening the scope of the agency and
acting upon the realization that nuclear science is the tool with which global challenges are
overcome. Applications of nuclear science are not novel technologies; rather, they are vital
for ensuring equitable access to food and water, sustainable development, responsible
economic growth, and the well-being of all.
Kenyaâs commitment to nuclear security is rooted in a long history of peaceful nuclear engagement. Since joining the IAEA in 1965, Kenya has worked diligently to strengthen nuclear governance and prevent the misuse of radioactive materials. The creation of the Kenya Nuclear Regulatory Authority (KRNA) marked a major step forward in building a strong legal and institutional framework for nuclear safety and security. Kenya has collaborated with the IAEA, participating in a regional initiative to detect and prevent the illicit trafficking of nuclear materials. These efforts demonstrate Kenyaâs dedication to transparency, accountability, and global cooperation. Kenya believes that nuclear security must be proactive, inclusive, and regionally coordinated. To that end, Kenya proposes the establishment of a regional center for nuclear security training in East Africa, to be based in Nairobi and supported by the IAEA. This center would provide specialized training in radiation detection, emergency response, and the protection of nuclear information systems. Through initiatives such as this and improved capacity building, Kenya is confident and committed to ensuring that nuclear science remains a source of stability, security, and sustainable development for all. | |
| Committee: | IAEA |
| Topic: | Strengthening the Agency's activities related to nuclear science, technology and applications |
| Paper text: | |
| Kenya continues to partner with the IAEA in the development and ratification of Country
Program Frameworks (CPFs) and is actively seeking to promote effective and sustainable
applications of nuclear science and nuclear tools, as well as providing a framework for
continued scientific education and innovation. Additionally, Kenyaâs Vision 2030 commits to
goals of technological advancements, social well-being, and political collaboration, fields
encompassing problems that can be reliably faced with nuclear science and technical
cooperation with the IAEA, especially via the support of the Technical Cooperation Programme
(TCP), and other member states.
In this effort to strengthen the IAEAâs activities in nuclear science, Kenya recognizes that safe, transparent, and equitable access to nuclear technologies and their applications is vital, and is dependent in part on the cooperation of member states through their efforts, CMFs, domestic policies, and action in peaceful use and nuclear non-proliferation efforts (GA/RES/79/80; GA 34/63). For nuclear science to truly reach its potential in applications, its impact must not be ignored or dismissed. Nuclear science plays an indispensable role in Kenyan agriculture, water, healthcare, energy, and more; and through the agents and organs within the IAEA (namely, Rays of Hope, the PUI, TCP, and IAEA Department of Nuclear Science and Applications), more problems can be solved and more people helped, sustainably and effectively. It is clear that the safe and well-funded use of nuclear science applications is deeply connected with international security, safety, and nuclear non-proliferation, and so Kenya calls upon the IAEA to significantly strengthen its activities in nuclear science, in East Africa and across the globe, ensuring a safer, more equitable, and sustainable future for all. | |
| Committee: | CND |
| Topic: | Promoting alternative development as a development-oriented drug control strategy that is sustainable and inclusive |
| Paper text: | |
| The Republic of Kenya wishes to highlight the importance of addressing the damages inflicted by narcotic drugs, recognizing the dire consequences of drug usage and its illicit trade. We seek to adopt alternative strategies that emphasize economic opportunity, infrastructure development, education, and social inclusion to combat the drug trade, based on human rights and dignity. Substance abuse has risen abruptly among our youth, with more than half of users being 10â19 years old. As the usage of drugs has risen, so have crime rates and social polarization. Moreover, Kenya, as a significant source of trafficking, has also increased drug usage domestically, especially among injecting drug users. Given the discouragingly low statistic that only one out of six Kenyans has access to recovery and rehab treatments, most end up in a segment of the criminal justice system and have difficulty recovering their lives. Hence, an alternative path must be considered. Evidence-based treatment has been found to be effective in positive, life-changing experiments done in the past on Kenyan citizens by the UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime). These treatments have been done in conjunction with Kenyaâs criminal justice system and the international drug control convention, aiming for rehabilitation, not punishment. This alternative, development-oriented drug control strategy not only promotes sustainable solutions to narcotic drug use but also prioritizes human liberty and flourishing. The Constitution of Kenya asserts that human dignity is to be treated attentively, with the right to the highest attainable standards of healthcare and the prohibition of cruel and inhumane punishments. Our goal is to approach this issue with strategies that are both accommodating and responsive to the social, economic, and educational realities of affected communities. | |
| Committee: | CND |
| Topic: | Promoting comprehensive and scientific evidence-based early prevention |
| Paper text: | |
| In 1988, the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances emphasized the importance of international cooperation in the prevention of drug use. This is as important today as ever. In the Republic of Kenya, one in six people are using at least one drug or substance of abuse. Worldwide, 316 million people used illegal drugs in 2023. This shows how deep the problem is and that further international cooperation is necessary to reduce drug use. To achieve this, more work needs to be done on prevention policies to stop the problem at its source. This can be achieved through improved research and public education on drug use. There is a need to utilize existing research on prevention to inform policymaking and build upon existing research to benefit all member states. In Kenya, we have initiated this process through our National Drug Observatory, which submits reports to Parliament and fulfills regional and international reporting requirements. These reports are available to the public through our NIMES (National Integrated Monitoring and Evaluation System) site, which allows organizations like schools to use this to educate people on the dangers of drug use. They also enable us to inform our policy-making process, and this can be translated on a global scale through more scientific research on prevention in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC). This will also help uphold the International Standards on Drug Use Prevention by providing scientific evidence to make available to the public on why they should abstain from drug use. Lastly, all of this can be used to bolster the CHAMPS (Children Amplified Prevention Services) program by allowing schools across the globe to access this information and expose children to it from a young age. All of this helps promote SDG 3. | |
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