Defence Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale has reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to pursue regional and international peace by actively participating in the United Nations (UN) and other regional peace support mechanisms.
He said that Kenya shall continuously adhere to the principles laid out in the UN Charter and the African Union (AU) Constitutive Act.
Hon. Duale made the remarks when he addressed the 5th United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Ministerial Conference (PMC) in Accra, Ghana that was held in the African continent for the first time.
The two-day forum that brought together Ministers for Defence and Foreign Affairs across the globe, provided an ideal opportunity to reflect on the capability and capacity gaps in the peacekeeping system with a view of generating fresh insights on how the current and future peace support operations can be strengthened.
He told the participants that Kenya is revamping her capacity to participate in Peace Support Operations (PSOs) by allocating resources as envisioned in the newly formulated National Peace Support Operations Policy that establishes the Peace Support Operations Fund.
“This intervention will contribute towards peacekeepers’ capacity enhancement as well as equip them appropriately to achieve the required performance standards”, said the CS.
“It is worth noting that tremendous progress has been achieved through PSOs despite the security challenges facing the global community. This therefore demands the United Nations (UN) to reconfigure missions to adopt a streamlined approach by equipping peacekeepers with the most appropriate capabilities,” Hon. Duale added.
The CS also underscored the need for accountability, improvement of strategic communications, the establishment of robust partnerships and recognizing the role of women in peace and security as key pillars for mission success and sustaining peace.
He observed that hosting the international high-level Conference in Ghana is an appreciation of Africa’s contribution to the enhancement of international peace and security.
On the sidelines of the Conference, Hon. Duale held a series of bilateral talks with delegations from Australia, Canada, the European Union, Hungary, the United States and the United Kingdom.
During the talks, the CS and the delegations explored ways of bolstering the already existing strong ties and enhancing cooperation in the fields of defence and security for the benefit of the people of the said States.
Hon. Duale was accompanied by Kenya’s High Commissioner to Ghana H.E Eliphas Barine and the Director of the International Peace Support Training Centre (IPSTC) Brigadier Joyce Sitienei.
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