Topic:
Country: Kenya
Delegate Name: Julia Malone
Kenya is an African nation with a population of 66 million people. The national motto of “Harambe,” is truly a representative phrase for this resilient nation. Going through three government transitions in just as many decades, ranging from a colony of the United Kingdom to a fully-functioning multi-party democracy, Kenya has faced serious turnovers in recent history. Since its transition to multi-party democracy, every election it has had has been met by allegations of fraud, but the election results have eventually been verified. Recently, the previous president and his opponent launched a program called the Building Bridges Initiative, focusing on bringing the divided country together.
Kenya is a nuclear-weapon-free state. They avidly support the banishment of nuclear weapons from the global arena. As early as 2015, representatives from Kenya endorsed a “humanitarian pledge” to cooperate “in efforts to stigmatize, prohibit, and eliminate nuclear weapons.” In 2016, Kenya co-sponsored the UN General Assembly resolution that established the formal mandate for states to commence negotiations on “a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination.” Kenya has welcomed the adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and officials have made several remarks about how important the treaty is. Kenya participated in the negotiation of the TPNW in 2017 and was among 122 nations that voted in favor of its adoption. However, Kenya has not officially ratified or signed the treaty.
Kenya would look favorably upon drafting a new resolution on nuclear disarmament, especially with ongoing wars involving nuclear powerhouses such as the Russo-Ukrainian Conflict and the Afghanistan Situation. Kenya hopes to continue working towards a peaceful, nuclear-weapon-free world.
