United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has appointed Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Ambassador Macharia Kamau as a member of the UN Peacebuilding Fund.
His task will be to help raise Sh180 Billion
[FILE] Ambassador Macharia Kamau. Credit: IDLO
The Secretary General made the official announcement on Thursday, August 25. Amb. Kamau is set to join nine other eminent individuals for a term of two years.
According to the UN, candidates are often nominated by Member States. The team of ten will have an uphill task during their tenure. They aim to invest $1.5 billion (Sh180 Billion) over a five-year period in peacebuilding.
The Fund is the Organization’s financial instrument of first resort to sustain peace in countries or situations at risk or affected by violent conflict.
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“Conflict and political turbulence around the globe illustrate that peacebuilding cannot be put on hold while the world grapples with the pandemic,” read a statement on the organisations’ website.
BOGOTA, COLOMBIA - FEBRUARY 3: Macharia Kamau, Kenyan Ambassador and Permanent Representative to United Nations speaks during the 16th Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Bogota on the second day, Colombia, February 3, 2017. (Photo by Daniel Garzon/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
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The organisation further revealed that the ten newly appointed members will be mandated to handle challenges currently facing Member States such as conflicts among others.
“Violent conflicts are on the rise, fragilities are growing due to the ongoing health and financial effects of COVID-19, and other risks, including a global food security crisis, have expanded,” read the statement in part.
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Following the announcement, Sec-Gen Guterres expressed his gratitude to the previous members who ended their tenure in March 2022.
The UN Special Envoy on el Nino and Climate Mr. Macharia Kamau intervenes at the World Food Day ceremony in the FAO headquarters on october 14th, 2016 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Jacopo Landi/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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The newly appointed members are:
- Professor Emmanuel Asante, former Chairperson, National Peace Council, Ghana;
- Jingye Cheng, Ambassador (ret.), China;
- Kjersti Dale, Director, International Development CARE, Norway;
- Mohamed Edrees, Ambassador (ret.), Egypt;
- Lise Filiatrault, Ambassador (ret.), Canada;
- Macharia Kamau, Principal Secretary, Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kenya;
- Sara Pantuliano, Chief Executive, Overseas Development Institute, United Kingdom;
- Stéphane Rey, Ambassador-designate of Switzerland to Zimbabwe, Zambia & Malawi, Switzerland;
- Marriët Schuurman, Director, Stability and Humanitarian Aid, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands;
- Almut Wieland-Karimi, Executive Director, Center for International Peace Operations, Germany.
