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{
    "id": 847476,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/847476/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 334,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Dagoretti South, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. John Kiarie",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13322,
        "legal_name": "John Kiarie Waweru",
        "slug": "john-kiarie-waweru"
    },
    "content": "In the larger scheme of things, and especially in this new emerging world order where we are seeing former superpowers falling and weakening while newer superpowers are coming up and rising, the deliberations of the 49th Session of the ACP Parliamentary Assembly could not have been more timely. This is especially in the light of the new era that is dawning that is being popularly called the ‘post-Cotonou era’, where we shall renegotiate the terms of engagement between the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries as relates to the EU and especially in matters to do with trade. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I would like to confirm that, indeed, the Kenyan delegation participated in the very extensive deliberations on matters that covered, but were not limited to, business, climate, investments, terrorism and even organised crime in the different committees that were formed. The committees are the Committee on Social Affairs and Environment, the Committee on Economic Development and the committee that I very actively participated in, the Committee on Political Affairs. I think it would be good to report to this House that the Kenyan political situation came up during the deliberations at that time. It was a time immediately after the now famous handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and the former Prime Minister, Right Honourable Raila Amolo Odinga. In fact, the handshake was lauded by members of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly as a ground-breaking political advancement. You can bear me witness that after the handshake by the President and the former Prime Minister, we have seen many other handshakes around the world, one of which is the handshake between the President of the United States of America (USA) and the leader of North Korea. We have seen the leader of North Korea shaking hands with the leader of South Korea. We have seen the President of the USA shaking hands with the President of Russia. As such, the people who were at the Joint Parliamentary Assembly lauded this landmark political gesture between our President and the former Prime Minister. Finally, I have a recommendation that I would like to put forward. Bearing in mind the nature of the deliberations at the ACP-EU Assembly, I propose that it would be a great idea to have a permanent delegation from this National Assembly. These are the people who are going to be carrying the institutional memory of the deliberations at this Assembly. I would like to say that on my part, when I was appointed to go for the ACP-EU Assembly, I did not sleep throughout my flight from here all the way to where the Assembly was being held. I had to apprise myself of the nature of the deliberations by looking even at the past deliberations of the Assembly. I had to learn what it meant to talk about post-Cotonou. As such, I would like to recommend that the people who are appointed - and it does not have to be the Member of Parliament from Dagoretti South - to attend to these matters as a delegation, be a permanent delegation and permanent Members to this Assembly. There is going to be an opportunity for Kenya to rise up as a regional leader in matters politics, economics and social affairs as we open up the discussion on post-Cotonou as has been stated by the leader of delegation and also by Hon. Rasso. It is, indeed, a new world. I would like The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}