MOZAMBIQUE has replaced Kenya in the United Nations Security Council where it will serve for a period of two years.
Kenya has served in the council since June 18, 2020 and was represented by Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, Martin Kimani. The South African country began its tenure at the council on January 1, 2023.
Joining Mozambique are also Ecuador, Japan, Malta and Switzerland, all five countries taking up non-permanent seats for the next two years.
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In his farewell message Ambassador Kimani stated that Kenya had done a good job at the UN and would soon share on the important lessons learnt in the coming days.
‘Our work in the Security Council is done, and to mark the occasion, I am wearing the National Defence College tie in honour of the men and women of Kenya Defence Forces who exemplify what UN stands for.
‘In the coming days, I will communicate some of the important lessons we learned but for now, all I feel is an overwhelming gratitude for the opportunity,’ Kimani said in a statement published on December 31, 2022.
Mozambican Ambassador Pedro Comissário Afonso of Mozambique called it ‘a historic date.’
Other countries that have exited the Security Council alongside Kenya include India, Ireland, Mexico, and Norway.
To many countries, winning a council seat is considered a signature diplomatic accomplishment that can raise a nation’s global profile and afford small countries a bigger voice than they might otherwise have in the major international peace and security issues of the day.
The council deploys peacekeeping missions, can approve sanctions and speaks out — sometimes — on conflicts and flashpoints, while also surveying such thematic issues as terrorism and arms control. While many matters are perennials on the agenda, council members also can use the platform to spotlight emerging concerns or topics of particular interest to them.
