I am a problem solver

As an Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) and Deputy Executive Director for United Nations Environment Programme (Unep), Ambassador Amina Mohamed is currently the highest-ranking Kenyan in the UN system. Hers has been a journey of many firsts and many achievements at the highest levels of international public service. She spoke to NJOKI CHEGE

I think the reason behind my many ‘firsts’ is mainly attributable to the fact that I am a team player. I find it easy to work with people and people don’t find it difficult to work with me.

I try to be a problem-solver, consensus builder and I always look for solutions where others don’t. I also exploit others’ full potential and give credit where it is due.

After the signing of the National Accord in 2008, I was appointed as the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs — the ministry charged with implementing core reforms after the post-election violence.

That violence revealed wananchi’s frustration and lack of faith in key institutions. We all realised that the status quo could not be maintained. Something had broken and needed to be fixed and fast.

I can proudly now say that Kenya has become a standard bearer. We have done an exemplary job in setting up the necessary institutions to guarantee reforms and have attracted admiration from our neighbours and beyond.

In implementing the Constitution, we are at a point of no return. Kenya will move ahead full steam because that is what Kenyans demand, expect and deserve.

The speed at which we are moving as we implement the Constitution can be improved. But we must also recognise the enormity of the task ahead and acknowledge that Rome was not built in a day. Even as we remain vigilant, we must sometimes remember to smell the coffee and pat ourselves on the back when progress is recorded.

I don’t buy the argument that women are unable to fill the slots provided for them in the Constitution.

There are enough women of substance and potential to provide the one third and even more, but we must look for them and allow and encourage them to lead.

Great potential

Having worked in the international arena for a long time, it is always vexing to hear anyone name the issue of capacity or competence when it comes to others. At that level, it was common to hear that Africans or Asians could not be found to take up positions because of lack of capacity, experience or competence. Let’s not apply those limitations to our women. We deserve better.

Women need to realise they have the potential to achieve their aspirations. They must, however, invest time and energy into acquiring knowledge and experience. Much more is expected of them than men and being in a competitive world, they need to be well prepared for the bright future that awaits them.

I was very humbled by my appointment as the Assistant Secretary-General of the UN and the Deputy Executive Director of Unep.

The timing could not have been better. I can show off the Kenyan Constitution that has excellent 21st Century provisions on the environment.

Our Constitution elevates the right to a clean environment and places it in our Bill of Rights.

I, therefore, walk to Unep armed with excellent constitutional provisions that I look forward to replicate in other countries.

In Unep, I know I will have to learn from those who have been there for long and done incredible things to conserve and restore our environment.

The environment has become the single most important issue on the international agenda, whether one is talking about sustainable development, climate change, renewable energy, the green economy, protection and conservation of marine life or any other. Kenya must be at the centre of this debate, which is why it is important for us to have a representative at that decision-making level.

We are the only country in the developing world that hosts the global headquarters of two international organisations — Unep and UN-Habitat. We can seize this opportunity to ensure Unep’s mandate is realised.

Kenya is a beautiful product and home. Her potential needs to be unleashed and exploited and it’s incumbent on all of us to do our bit.

It has been a privilege to be part of the process of getting Kenya back on its feet.

Working at the Ministry for Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs was wonderful.

We dared to go where many others feared to tread and have set a new standard for others to follow.

I am a woman of many firsts

After my high school education, I went to University in Kiev, Ukraine, was a Unitar (United Nations Institute for Training and Research) Fellow and did internships at the International Court of Justice in the Hague, the UN Secretariat in New York, the World Bank and at IMF.

I came back to Kenya in 1985, worked for the Ministry of Local Government for a while before moving to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where I worked for five years.

I was then posted to the Kenya Mission to the UN in Geneva.

In 1996, I moved to New York where I served for four years during a time when Kenya was on the Security Council.

In 2000, I was appointed Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.

I was Kenya’s main negotiator at the WTO and was able to negotiate successfully many trade agreements.

I served on the Human Rights Commission, the Boards of WHO, the World Intellectual Property Organisation and the Executive Council of the UNHCR among others.

While in Geneva, I negotiated for the waiver to the trade related intellectual property rights treaty that allowed developing countries to be able to import generic drugs that brought down the price of anti-retroviral drugs amongst other benefits.

When I arrived in Geneva, there were only a handful of African countries that were members of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

Consequently, there was limited participation by African countries. I, therefore, decided that as Kenya was the first African country to join IOM, it was incumbent upon us to intimately get involved in the work of the IOM, gain the confidence of other member countries and encourage the participation of other African countries. As a result, I was elected as the first African and first woman chairman to the IOM Council.

In 2003, I was elected the first woman Chair of the Trade Policy Review Body of WTO and the first woman chair of the Disputes Settlement Body of the WTO. In 2005, I was elected first woman chairman of the governing body of the WTO.

On completing my tenure in 2006 as Ambassador, I came back to Kenya and worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the Director of Europe. The Head of Public Service later appointed me Director of the Diaspora and International Jobs. It was the first time that anyone held the two directorship positions in one ministry and I am grateful for that honour.

In 2007, I was appointed by President Mwai Kibaki to the Special Committee on the Concerns of Muslims, which made critical recommendations on sensitive issues, many of which have been implemented or have been included in the Constitution.