Political Relationship
Kenya has a strategic position within East Africa; it hosts the headquarters of two United Nations programs and it has traditionally been a mediator in peace talks concerning its neighbours. Kenya is fast becoming one of the leading countries on the African continent. France sees Kenya therefore as an important diplomatic partner.
In view of this, French diplomacy is active in Kenya, not only in its typical bilateral dimension, but also in the field of regional and multilateral diplomacy.
A partner in dialogue
Over the years, a constructive dialogue has been established between our two countries. This permanent dialogue is sustained on a daily basis through contact between the Ambassador and her team, with the local authorities (Ministers, Members of Parliament as well as representatives of Civil Society), and it enables the parties to share ideas on national, regional and global issues as varied as water management or cultural diversity.
These discussions are important since Kenya is a key interlocutor on African issues: Kenya is one of the first contributors of African contingents in peace keeping operations deployed on the African continent by the United Nations. It has also played a leading role in peace negotiations in Southern Sudan, Somalia and Democratic Republic of Congo.
Examples of this dialogue can be found in events such as the visit to Paris by the 2004 Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai in October 2007 through an invitation by the President of the Republic of France to participate in the “Grenelle de l’environnement”, a national debate on environment. In 2008, Kenneth Marende, Speaker of Kenya’s Parliament and Najib Balala, Minister of Tourism, officially visited France, while Alain Joyandet, Secretary of State for Cooperation and Francophony, and Rama Yade, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Human Rights, came to Kenya. Since 2003 not less than 25 Kenyan Ministers have made an official visit to Paris, while several members of the French Government have visited Kenya.
An established multilateral presence
Nairobi is one of the four headquarters of the UN, the only one in a developing country. In this regard, the French Embassy also undertakes the role of Permanent Representation to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the United Nations Program for Human Settlements (UN-Habitat).
Within the UN-Habitat, France, together with other partners, has in particular encouraged the initiative on ‘basic services’ (i.e. the minimum necessary for decent living), a project which was officially launched in April 2005. Our country also supports a project to set up a global observatory on decentralization, so as to disseminate the best practices in this important field for local democracy.
For a long time, France has been convinced that the environment sector does not receive the attention it deserves at the international level. France is the fifth biggest contributor to the UNEP budget (Sh.391M in 2007), and actively supports its development. This program needs to enhance its visibility and its activity, notably concerning the scientific assessment in order to mobilize the actors on environmental risks, and to pursue its role in developing international legislation for environmental protection, while at the same time helping developing countries better to include environment in their development policies.
Moreover, France initiated reforms on the status of UNEP so as to enable it to effectively undertake its responsibilities. France, as many countries (and notably the European Union), supports the strengthening of the UNEP and, more generally, of the International Environmental Governance (IEG).
In view of this, French diplomacy is active in Kenya, not only in its typical bilateral dimension, but also in the field of regional and multilateral diplomacy.
A partner in dialogue
Over the years, a constructive dialogue has been established between our two countries. This permanent dialogue is sustained on a daily basis through contact between the Ambassador and her team, with the local authorities (Ministers, Members of Parliament as well as representatives of Civil Society), and it enables the parties to share ideas on national, regional and global issues as varied as water management or cultural diversity.
These discussions are important since Kenya is a key interlocutor on African issues: Kenya is one of the first contributors of African contingents in peace keeping operations deployed on the African continent by the United Nations. It has also played a leading role in peace negotiations in Southern Sudan, Somalia and Democratic Republic of Congo.
Examples of this dialogue can be found in events such as the visit to Paris by the 2004 Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai in October 2007 through an invitation by the President of the Republic of France to participate in the “Grenelle de l’environnement”, a national debate on environment. In 2008, Kenneth Marende, Speaker of Kenya’s Parliament and Najib Balala, Minister of Tourism, officially visited France, while Alain Joyandet, Secretary of State for Cooperation and Francophony, and Rama Yade, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Human Rights, came to Kenya. Since 2003 not less than 25 Kenyan Ministers have made an official visit to Paris, while several members of the French Government have visited Kenya.
An established multilateral presence
Nairobi is one of the four headquarters of the UN, the only one in a developing country. In this regard, the French Embassy also undertakes the role of Permanent Representation to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the United Nations Program for Human Settlements (UN-Habitat).
Within the UN-Habitat, France, together with other partners, has in particular encouraged the initiative on ‘basic services’ (i.e. the minimum necessary for decent living), a project which was officially launched in April 2005. Our country also supports a project to set up a global observatory on decentralization, so as to disseminate the best practices in this important field for local democracy.
For a long time, France has been convinced that the environment sector does not receive the attention it deserves at the international level. France is the fifth biggest contributor to the UNEP budget (Sh.391M in 2007), and actively supports its development. This program needs to enhance its visibility and its activity, notably concerning the scientific assessment in order to mobilize the actors on environmental risks, and to pursue its role in developing international legislation for environmental protection, while at the same time helping developing countries better to include environment in their development policies.
Moreover, France initiated reforms on the status of UNEP so as to enable it to effectively undertake its responsibilities. France, as many countries (and notably the European Union), supports the strengthening of the UNEP and, more generally, of the International Environmental Governance (IEG).
