Uhuru calls for youth empowerment at UN meet

President Uhuru Kenyatta has been named UN Young People’s Agenda global champion.

This is a new initiative targeting to empower the youth globally. He was named by Secretary General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

And President Kenyatta has called for promotion of peace, reconciliation, non-discrimination as well as protection and promotion of human rights and youth empowerment.

Uhuru affirmed Kenya’s support of a historic UN Political Declaration, declaring 2019-2028 the Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace. He called on other world leaders to emulate the values that defined Mandela, the first democratically elected South African president and global civil rights icon.

Speaking yesterday during the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit on the sidelines of the ongoing 73rd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Uhuru said Kenya was committed to the values of Mandela and would pursue the ideals that defined his legacy.

He described Mandela as a beacon of hope whose ideals continued to inspire Kenya to consolidate cohesion and peaceful coexistence.

Mr Guterres called on world leaders to build on Mandela’s legacy, saying his fight against apartheid marked a landmark in human rights and freedom.

“Today, we remember a man of great wisdom, quiet dignity and towering achievement, who worked tirelessly for peace and human dignity for people everywhere,” Guterres said.

To commemorate the peace summit, Guterres unveiled a statue of Mandela at the UN headquarters in New York.