Mr Speaker,
Honourable Members,

It is an enormous privilege to address this Assembly today.

The country which I represent cherishes deeply our deep connections to this city and to this beautiful region of Kenya.

I’m told that the very name “Kisumu” comes from words to do with trade. Going to Kisumu meant going to trade. That bespeaks an openness to the world, a diversity, a sense of the city and the county as a great meeting point of people, which are still felt here today.

The United Kingdom’s connections with Kisumu go back more than a century. Our shared history has moments of deep pain, and we must live with and respect that. But we recognise too that it has bound us together, and that the connections it has fostered still bind us today.

Kisumu, or Port Florence as the British colonisers briefly called it, was of course the terminus for the great railway which opened up Kenya – the only time, it was said, that a railway had built a nation rather than the other way round.

British agriculturalists helped develop the sugar industry and bring breeds of maize which thrived in this region’s rich climate.

British missionaries helped bring formal education to Nyanza. Miss Fanny Moller started by teaching older women in the mornings and encouraging them to send their children in the afternoons. Along with Cannon Pleydell she founded a girls school in Ng’iya, in Siaya, in 1923, one of the very first places in this part of the world which gave a formal education to girls. Ng’iya girls high school still stands there today.

Today this region remains a focus for us as a donor, in an overall programme for Kenya as a whole worth 40 billion shillings every year.

Today I visited a UK-funded health centre helping women make choices about their lives by providing family planning.

I saw another UK-funded project that is working with KMET here in Kisumu to end post-partum haemorrhage – the complications and bleeding after childbirth which still kill too many young mothers in this region.

The UK has distributed millions of bed nets to help families protect themselves from malaria. And we have developed and delivered through pharmacies across Kenya a rapid, finger-prick diagnostic test for malaria, so people with a fever can quickly see whether they indeed have that disease or something else, and can quickly get the right treatment.

We continue to work closely with the county government here and in the region to build their capacity to deliver healthcare. And through networks such as the Tunza clinics we are working to bring that care to the hardest-to-reach areas.

Meanwhile UK Aid is helping bring low-cost private education to areas where the state hasn’t reached; to bring more girls and disabled people into sustainable schooling; and to empower girls and young women through programmes such as Premier Skills, which uses football coaching to build confidence and tackle domestic abuse or genital cutting.

Fundamentally, our aid is designed not just to help people today, but to help Kenya build the systems that will allow central and county governments sustainably to provide services themselves in the future.

The Governor and I discussed today how the UK can provide more assistance to the county government of Kisumu to do that, and we will be following that up.

This also means helping build the prosperity which will lift people out of poverty and enable governments to finance the services they need.

Through Trade Mark East Africa, the UK has funded new border posts for example in Busia to speed up trade through this region and help companies make the most of its international connections. That links to work all the way back to Mombasa port which has already cut by several days the time taken to import and export goods through the port, making it cheaper for companies across Kenya to trade.

As the next phase of Kenya’s great infrastructure projects works up from Nairobi towards the Lake, the UK will remain closely involved – as an investor and as a development partner working to ensure that those projects deliver real benefits for businesses and wananchi.

We are making development investments in projects that will improve people’s lives through innovation. We have put UK money for example into SolarNow, which is bringing small-scale solar power to households and to pump water.

And we will bring more private investment to Nyanza. I have been joined on my visit today by the chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce in Kenya, representing several hundred British companies active here and keen to invest and expand further. He will take the message back too about what is happening in this region and what new possibilities are here.

In Homa Bay, a British firm is building a biogas plant which will turn water hyacinth from the Lake into electric power. Once the power purchase agreement is complete – and I continue to urge the Kenyan government to make progress on this quickly – it will come on line.

Here in Kisumu, East Africa Breweries is building a major new plant which will, once complete, employ hundreds of people directly and support tens of thousands more jobs through its supply chains and distribution networks.

EABL is a company which is not just investing in Kisumu but is driving development here and across the country. Five years ago, less than half of what went into its Kenya-brewed products was sourced locally. Today 80 percent of its product is local content. That transformation has brought tens of thousands of Kenyan farmers into its supply chains. And the company is already talking to more farmers in this region about how they can supply its new plant.

Mr Speaker,

It is my sense that this region stands at an important point in its history.

A window has opened for political reconciliation, and that is hugely to be welcomed. It can only benefit the people of Kisumu and the region. Already I hear from everyone I have met here how business is picking up and investors are excited about new possibilities.

This region deserves its full share of justice, equality and inclusion, like every part of Kenya and like every Kenyan. And in turn it should play its full role in supporting and strengthening Kenya’s institutions, and ensuring they can go about their vital work. Its future lies as one of the country’s most dynamic and prosperous areas, contributing its full share to Kenya’s success and benefiting in turn fully from the country’s shared prosperity.

I reiterate today the United Kingdom’s call that reconciliation between political leaders be followed and accompanied by an open, sustained and transparent dialogue involving politicians, religious and civic leaders, and all those with a stake in Kenya’s present and its future. Now is the time to deal not just with the aftermath of last year’s elections but with the underlying issues which will help this country and this region prosper and develop.

The dialogue of which I speak should include the strengthening of institutions, preventing politicians tearing down and attacking for political gain the common fabric which holds Kenya together. Kenya’s democracy is precious, and all Kenyans need to work to protect and strengthen it.

It includes greater accountability and reform of the security services. They have an important job to do maintaining order, and that can be tough. But where people are killed or abuses alleged, they must be transparently investigated and those responsible held to account.

Such a dialogue should include also, in my view, how the workings of devolution can be strengthened and reinforced.

There are I’m sure many other issues – including how Kenya’s governance should evolve over the coming years. They are for Kenyans to determine. What I say I say as a friend of Kenya, representing a country deeply invested in its future security and prosperity as a partner. And in that capacity I call again for the follow-up to this month’s historic handshake to grapple with the big issues on Kenya’s future; and on the leaders of this region to take their full share of responsibility in building the common future which Kenya needs.

Mr Speaker,

It has been an enormous privilege for me to address this assembly today. And as always, it has been a great pleasure to visit this beautiful county of Kisumu.

I pray for success in the work of this Assembly, and for the peace, prosperity and development of this county and this region.

I commit the United Kingdom to doing all we can to support those aims. I will continue to strive to deepen the partnership between my country and your county.

Ofqual has today (29 March 2018) published two pieces of research related to the moderation of teacher assessments.

The first is an international literature review of secondary assessments in 23 English-speaking jurisdictions, including in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Singapore and South Africa. The review finds that a range of different approaches are taken to moderation, providing a variety of levels of assurance in relation to the complex question of how to secure the consistency of teacher judgements.

The second is an observational study of local authority moderation of key stage 2 writing assessments in 2017. It identifies factors that may have affected the consistency of moderation in 2017 and sets out the steps being taken by the Standards and Testing Agency to address these factors.

Dr Michelle Meadows, Deputy Chief Regulator, said:

Securing consistent judgements in non-examined assessments is challenging. Our research shows that a range of different approaches are taken internationally to address this question.

The approach to moderation taken in the UK, both in secondary qualifications and in statutory primary assessment, is similar to approaches taken in many other countries. Our key stage 2 research discusses some of the particular challenges in using moderation to secure consistency and sets out what the Standards and Testing Agency is doing to address these. We will continue to monitor this area.

The Prime Minister demonstrated her commitment to Northern Ireland’s farming industry in a visit to meet local farmers in Bangor today and to hear their views on what Brexit means to them.

She had a lunch of local Northern Ireland produce at Fairview Farm hosted by the Jackson family and representatives of the Ulster Farmers Union, where she shared her determination to secure a deal that would benefit the whole of the UK.

Her visit was part of a day-long tour across the United Kingdom to mark exactly one year from the UK’s historic exit from the European Union.

Prime Minister Theresa May said:

Northern Ireland and the farming industry are integral parts of the United Kingdom’s history, culture and, importantly, our future – which is why I’m here today to speak to farmers and hear their views.

My mission is to deliver a Brexit deal that strengthens the bonds between us and ensures our industries and nations prosper as we forge a new role for ourselves in the world.

Today, I want to hear from people in Northern Ireland about what our exit from the EU means to them. As there is no Executive in place in Northern Ireland, it is even more important that the views of people and businesses here continue to be heard. We remain absolutely committed to restoring a devolved government to Northern Ireland and will continue to work with the parties to achieve this.

I also want to reassure the people of Northern Ireland about my commitment to avoid a hard border and protect the Belfast Agreement. The border is used daily for travel and trade, but it also forms a hugely important part of British and Irish identities, rooted in generations of family history – and this is something that needs to be protected.

Agriculture is one of the most significant industries in Northern Ireland, employing around 48,000 people to work on over 25,000 farms, creating produce which is renowned in quality at home and abroad.

Fairview Farm is comprised of a 300 cow dairy unit and covers 132 acres of grassland.

O Governo Britânico, em parceria com o Fundo Newton, abre as inscrições para o Prêmio Newton 2018. Os países contemplados para a chamada são Brasil, Chile, Colômbia e México. São elegíveis beneficiários existentes ou passados de projetos financiados pelo Newton Fund. O prêmio será concedido para a melhor pesquisa ou inovação que promova desenvolvimento econômico, bem-estar social ou que enfrente desafios globais.

O Prêmio Newton reconhece e celebra pesquisas e inovações de excelência financiadas pelo Fundo Newton, desde o seu lançamento em 2014. Ele busca incentivar pesquisadores e inovadores a participarem como parceiros do Reino Unido e a trabalharem para responder aos mais urgentes desafios globais.

Neste ano, cinco projetos serão contemplados, pelo menos um prêmio para cada país será concedido, no valor máximo de200 mil libras, aproximadamente 1 milhão de reais, o qual deve ser usado para avançar ou desenvolver trabalhos existentes no Fundo Newton. A lista de inscrições será analisada por um comitê independente, liderado pelo Sir Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, um dos mais ilustres cientistas britânicos, vencedor do Prêmio Nobel e presidente da Royal Society de Londres.

“A América Latina tem uma riqueza de excelentes pesquisadores trabalhando em colaboração com o Reino Unido para abordar questões diversas como biodiversidade, saúde e observação da Terra através das parcerias do Fundo Newton na região. Como presidente do Comitê do Prêmio, estou ansioso para descobrir mais sobre esses empreendimentos colaborativos”, afirmou o cientista.

As inscrições, em inglês, são feitas pelo site até o dia 25 de maio de 2018:
http://www.newtonfund.ac.uk/newtonprize/

Thank you Mr President, first of all for convening this debate and for your contribution at this most opportune and important time.

May I also take this opportunity to thank Secretary-General Guterres for his leadership and his commitment to reform on peacekeeping; Chairperson Faki; and to Ms Touré. You gave a passionate, powerful and poignant reminder through your reflections on the role of peacekeeping and how its effectiveness can be improved . And I am sure we all heard your voice, your plea and your contribution in very clear terms.

Mr President, as we mark 70 years of UN Peacekeeping, it is right that we pause, we reflect, on the many lives saved, and on the regions and countries that have been stabilised over the years. There are millions of people living in some of the most challenging places on earth. They have been given hope, they have been given opportunity. This is the proud legacy of the toil and sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of men and women who have put their lives at risk. Some indeed have lost their lives. And why? To protect the most vulnerable.

In this 70th anniversary year, we salute their service and the service of those who support UN efforts through regional bodies, like the AU Mission in Somalia. Over the past 70 years, the challenges that peacekeepers have faced have evolved: disputes are increasingly complex; mission settings are increasingly dangerous; and too often, our collective contribution in this building has failed to keep pace.

Mr President,

UN Peacekeeping is far too important to fail. In recent years, we have indeed made progress – for example in planning and force generation. The Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial Meetings in London in 2016 and Vancouver in 2017 delivered 80 new pledges of personnel and capability. This progress must continue. We welcome the Secretary-General’s call to action this year and also I welcome his statement today on the sharpened focus on the safety and security of peacekeepers, and the UN’s Action Plan to implement some of the recommendations is also very timely. I also welcome the Secretary-General’s statement today to provide regular updates on the delivery of this Action Plan.

And as we embark on this collective effort to improve UN Peacekeeping, the United Kingdom would suggest three areas on which to focus:

Firstly, the Security Council must take its responsibilities seriously, and have the information available in order to do so. We must set clear, achievable objectives for Peacekeeping Operations, and not be afraid to sequence, so that mandates provide the right direction, the right resources, at the right time. We should go further, setting mandates that are more strategic and take a longer-term view. To do this, the Council needs high quality, timely, and accurate information and analysis. We need to work together better to achieve this – both states and institutions.

Secondly, to succeed, Peacekeeping Operations need to be complemented by all the tools that the UN and international community have at our disposal. We need better coordination – at headquarters and in the field – with peacebuilding, better development, and all the other arms of the UN to support. This is why we support the vision and themes underpinning the Secretary-General’s Sustaining Peace Proposals and his Peace and Security Architecture reforms.

And thirdly, we must, we must, improve performance, and strengthen accountability for underperformance. There needs to be a better match between the capacity of the troops, and the tasks they are asked to perform. This requires the Department for Peacekeeping Operations to reinforce work on force generation, on training, and on performance monitoring and indeed on evaluation. It also requires Member States to deliver the capabilities they have committed. We must continue to recognise the essential role of women in ensuring the successful delivery of peacekeeping and engage more women in all components of all missions.

And above all we must, we must stop sexual exploitation and abuse by those sent to protect civilians, and we must offer real protection for women, children and indeed all vulnerable communities, as Ms Touré highlighted in her contribution.

Furthermore, addressing conflict-related sexual violence is equally crucial. The United Kingdom is looking to host an international meeting in 2019 marking progress and next steps, five years on from the Global Summit on Ending Sexual Violence in Conflict. And whilst welcoming the progress made, in particular the UN’s new victim-centred approach, there still remain too many incidents of concern across the UN system.

Mr President,

Through the leadership of the Secretary-General, we have an opportunity to make UN Peacekeeping fit for our times. It is the responsibility of all of us to work together to seize that opportunity – that means the Council, the Secretariat, regional and sub-regional bodies, host states, and those who provide troops, police and financing. And let us not forget those UN Peacekeepers, under the banner of the United Nations, act in the name of each and every one of us. It is therefore our responsibility to ensure they embody the ideals of the UN Charter, because through them we ultimately “unite our strength to maintain international peace and security”.

Thank you.