Kenya will, jointly with Norway, host this year’s global education security conference, Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has revealed.
Murkomen said preparations are on course for the 5th International Conference on the Safe Schools Declaration (SSD) to be held in Nairobi in December 2025.
During a high-level meeting with the state secretary to the ministry of International Development of the Kingdom of Norway, Stine Renate Haheim, Murkomen lauded the close ties between the two nations.
“Kenya and Norway are working together in preparation for the fifth international conference on the Safe Schools Declaration (SSD), to be held in Nairobi in December 2025,” affirmed Murkomen.
He added that the conference will strengthen the close and collaborative relationship between Nairobi and Oslo.
This is only the second time Africa is hosting the event after Nigeria.
The SSD is a political commitment to protect education during armed conflict.
Murkomen noted that Kenya is also partnering with Norway on a number of projects that are of mutual interest to the two nations.
Separately, Murkomen held a series of engagements on the sidelines of the ongoing 8th session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2025) in Geneva, Switzerland, on Wednesday.
He met with Prof. Walter Kalin, Kenya’s envoy for the chairmanship of the Platform of Disaster Displacement (PDD), who briefed him on the work being undertaken by the platform and the progress made towards implementing Kenya’s priorities during its chairmanship.
In recognising the importance of the seat, the CS said Kenya is deeply honoured to lead the PDD and is fully committed to advancing the protection of people displaced by disasters and climate-related events.
“We look forward to continued collaboration with our fellow steering group members: Australia, Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, the Maldives, Mexico, Norway, Morocco, the Philippines, Senegal, and Switzerland, as well as our standing invitees— United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) and IOM— and Implementation partners, UNOPS, in pursuing this vital agenda,” he stated.
The CS also held a bilateral meeting with the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of India, Dr. Pramod Kumar Mishra, affirming the two countries’ long-standing cordial relations across various sectors.
“We look forward to strengthening our cooperation and ties of friendship in Disaster Risk Reduction and Disaster Risk Management through training and skills development as well as equipment, while bolstering trade,” stated Murkomen.
The PDD is a State-led initiative that aims to follow up on the work started by the Nansen Initiative and to implement the Nansen Initiative – Agenda for the Protection of Cross-Border Displaced Persons in the Context of Disasters and Climate Change, that was endorsed by more than 100 States in October 2015.
PDD works on environmental migration and disaster displacement, directly building on policy work and institutional expertise.
Murkomen also addressed delegates at the ongoing conference, convened under the auspices of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).
Together with the Vice President of the Republic of Zambia, Mutale Nalumango, Murkomen underscored the need for countries to scale up investment in resilience-building initiatives to better manage disaster risks.
The Special Session, titled ‘Investing in Resilient Infrastructure for Africa – Tools, Strategies and Partnerships,’ served as a valuable platform to exchange experiences and best practices from around the world.
The CS showcased Kenya’s achievements under the Sendai Framework, particularly in strengthening infrastructure and institutional capacities.
“I emphasised the critical role of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in supporting governments’ efforts to design, build, and maintain infrastructure that can withstand future shocks. Resilient infrastructure must be a central pillar in our pursuit of sustainable development,” he stated.
Accompanying the CS in the conference is Dr. Fancy Too, Kenya’s permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva, along with members of the Kenya delegation to GP2025.
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