United Nations General Assembly, 59th Session, General Debate, September 2004, last updated, October 1, 2004.
Notes: the President of the 59th Session of the United Nations General Assembly is Mr Jean Ping, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Gabonese Republic.
Kenya: H.E. The Honourable Chirau Ali Mwakwere, MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs, September 27
"Let me turn to an issue of great importance to the international community. The production, stockpiling, transfer and use of anti-personnel landmines is a problem of major proportions which has caused untold suffering to populations world-wide. With respect to this problem, Africa is the most mine-affected continent. Kenya has been bestowed with the honour to host the First Review Conference of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Landmines and on Their Destruction (Ottawa Convention). The Conference, also known as the "Nairobi Summit 2004 on a Mine-Free World", will be held from November 29 to December 3, 2004. Among the scheduled events will be Pre-Conference Ceremonies on November 28, 2004, presided over by the President of the Republic of Kenya, the Honourable Mwai Kibaki who has extended invitations to World Leaders to attend the Conference. I take this opportunity to welcome each and everyone of you to participate at the highest possible level at the Conference. I encourage you to take advantage of your presence in Nairobi to sample Kenya's hospitality and particularly the world famous Safari and the sandy beaches along Kenya's Coast...
"Long running conflicts in our sub-region have led to the proliferation of small arms and light weapons which constitute major security concerns to my country and others. For this reason, Kenya has been at the forefront of regional initiatives to combat the menace. In March 2000, Kenya hosted the First Ministerial Conference, which produced the Nairobi Declaration on the problem of Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa. In April this year, Kenya hosted the Second Ministerial Review Conference of the Nairobi Declaration, which adopted the Nairobi Protocol on Small Arms and Light Weapons. These efforts are intended to consolidate a regional framework within which to deal with the problem of proliferation in order to improve security to enable the people of the region to re-direct their energies and resources towards meaningful economic activities."
Source: UN Press Service
http://www.un.org/webcast/ga/59/statements/keneng040927.pdf
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