Position Paper of Kenya

[Maria Aurora]

Delegation from Kenya
Represented by Maria Aurora Kalmari

Position Paper for the General Assembly
Human Rights Education and Global Economic Crisis


The global economic crisis and human rights are inseparably interlinked. According to the Nobel Prize Laureate Martti Ahtisaari, the economic crisis endangers the achievement of world peace in that it weakens the economic development of war-torn countries and thus complicates the solution of conflicts. For this reason Kenya welcomes the dialogue on both human rights education and global economic crisis on the level of the United Nations.

Human Rights Education

Kenya attaches great importance to human rights education in order to achieve and maintain stability, peace and democracy worldwide. Education in the field of human rights lies at the heart of peace-building efforts in war-torn and post-conflict societies. For Kenya and the African continent the only way forward is the continuing commitment in supporting and strengthening human rights. In order to come to terms with the postcolonial trauma and recent post-electoral violence Kenya firmly believes the answer can be found nowhere else than in achieving a better understanding in human rights. The young generations in particular have a key role in making this world a better place in the future. A non-governmental organisation Youth Alive! Kenya is currently implementing a Human Rights Education Programme for schools that aims to inculcate respect for human rights and integrate human rights principles in the management of school systems and school communities in Kenya. The Human Rights Education and Outreach Programme of the Kenya Human Rights Commission aims at strengthening the human rights movement in Kenya through a wide range of non formal and popular human rights education activities among Kenyans.

These programmes are a proof of firm commitment of Kenya in supporting and actively enforcing better understanding of human rights in all levels of society. To ensure that human rights not only sound good on paper, but more importantly are applied in practice, it is essential to guarantee a high level of implementation worldwide. Kenya calls for a more active approach from the international community in addressing the post-conflict situations by ensuring the importance of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Improving the level of human rights education cannot be achieved alone, the firm commitment to cooperate is needed from every single state. Kenya therefore welcomes and firmly supports the need for the dialogue regarding the challenge of human rights education and believes this dialogue will bear fruit.

Global Economic Crisis

Kenya welcomes the dialogue on global economic crisis at the level of the United Nations. Kenya believes that the solution to the crisis affecting every corner of the world can be found above all in an organization, which is taking into account not only the voices of the economically more powerful but also the voices of those who do not fit in to G20 summits, but who nevertheless continue to be seriously affected by the economic and financial crisis.

Kenya represents a troubling model for the effects of the financial crisis in the developing world, as many countries depend on the large markets of the developed world for export growth and foreign aid to sustain impoverished populations. Kenya expresses its concern for the effects the economical downturn will have on foreign aid, which is desperately needed in the African continent. Kenya therefore calls the attention of donor nations not to allow the financial turmoil to disrupt their commitments to increase aid to Africa. In this regard Kenya recalls the obligations imposed by the Millennium Development Goals and calls for the continuing commitments and new aid for Africa in order to ensure that investment and growth in the African continent will not be interrupted.

Kenya rejects the claims by the International Monetary Fund that Kenya alongside other developing countries would not directly be affected by the global economic crisis. On the contrary, the global financial crisis presents a significant risk to Kenya’s economic growth, as the Monetary Policy Committee has stated. The effects of this global crisis are felt in Kenya both directly and indirectly. Latest analysis shows that the crisis will impact very negatively on the Kenyan economy in the short and medium term. Kenya is experiencing decreased revenue from the tourism sector by 30 percent. Decline in remittances from the Diaspora, which have traditionally been powerful anchor for the Kenyan economy, is beginning to show its effect on the economy. Horticulture, as well as the production of tea and coffee, is among the areas most seriously affected by the economical downturn. Each day continues to present a challenge for an ordinary Kenyan, whose earnings are eaten by inflation. Furthermore, Kenya is experiencing the reduction of foreign investment and scepticism within lending institutions. The above mentioned tools are all vital for Kenya’s economic growth and their decline can be instantly seen in all levels of the Kenyan society. Therefore Kenya calls for a dialogue, which recognizes that the effects of the economic crisis are global, reaching not only the most powerful economies but the developing economies as well. In this respect Kenya welcomes the upcoming dialogue of global economic crisis within the framework of the United Nations and remains hopeful, that a truly global solution will be achieved without further delay.