UN General Assembly
2022

On behalf of Kenya, I therefore join other leaders in calling on the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and other multilateral lenders to extend pandemic- related debt relief to the worst-hit countries, especially those affected by the devastating combination of conflict, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. I also urge the Group of 20 to extend and expand the scope of the common framework to suspend or reschedule debt repayments by middle-income countries during the pandemic recovery period. I would like the Assembly to take a moment to consider the peace and security landscape — one that is currently beset with multiple challenges but also abounds with considerable opportunities. Our home region of East Africa and the Horn of Africa, in particular, is burdened by significant conflicts and challenges that have implications for the region’s development. We stand on the cusp of a vast opportunity to galvanize confidence-building measures in order to generate and sustain momentum towards sustainable peace.