Ambassador Martin Kimani, PhD

Ambassador Kimani, Executive Director of the Center on International Cooperation at NYU, recently concluded his tenure as Kenya's Permanent Representative to the UN in New York. He led the Kenyan delegation to the UN Security Council (2021-2022), served as President of the Security Council (October 2021). He also served as 2023 President of the Executive Board of the UN Development Programme, the UN Population Fund, and the UN Office for Project Services. He is an elected member of the landmark UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent.

With diverse experience in public service, he has held various significant roles, such as President’s Special Envoy for Countering Violent Extremism, Director of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, and Permanent Representative to the UN Environment Programme and UN Habitat. He was awarded the Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear by Kenya’s President. He is the 2022 Honorary Award of the German Africa Foundation.

Holding an MA and PhD in War Studies from King’s College London, he is an expert on the Rwanda genocide and armed conflicts. As a fellow of the African Leadership Initiative and member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, Ambassador Kimani is sought-after for his insights into diplomacy, peace, and security. He advocates for multilateral reform and delivered a renowned speech at the UN Security Council on February 21, 2022, which framed the Ukraine war in a colonial context and emphasized the importance of peaceful conflict resolution.