Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has called for proper management of shared resources to enhance human interactive capacity.
Speaking when he opened the 19th International Association for the Study of the Commons (IASC) biennial conference, Mudavadi said proper management of shared resources, spaces and systems helps in opening up opportunities to grow economies.
“Most importantly, this management of shared resources should be guided by principles of fairness, equity, and sustainability. For Kenya, these are principles embedded not only in our Constitution but also guide our development planning,” he said.
The Prime CS said a structured inclusive conversation should guide all deliberations that will ensure commonality in understanding the need for resources to be shared in a balanced manner.
Mudavadi said the conference has come at a time when communities in many parts of the world feel that they are being suppressed and resources being exploited to their disadvantage.
He said that through harnessing the power of collaboration and inclusivity, a future that is just, resilient, and prosperous for all can be created.
"This is the route that should be taken by all sector players globally. The concept of the commons should aspire and be rooted in the belief in oneself and others," he said.
“Coincidentally, the Kenyan government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BeTA) is rooted in the belief that we are safe if we uplift the livelihoods of those at the lower end of the economic ladder. Our view is, a development that is not shared by the majority is pseudo-development or under-development.”
The Prime CS said Kenya looks forward to realizing the world commons through international collective effort.
Mudavadi also highlighted measures that Kenya has taken in joining other countries to fight climate change, as a result of carbon emissions from global warming effects.
He said Kenya has taken the lead in climate change mitigation and seeks to plant 15 billion trees in 10 years, to gain 30 per cent of tree cover nationally.
The IASC conference, which is ongoing at the University of Nairobi is comprised of delegates from across the globe.
The conference aims at positioning the commons in the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda 2030.
Deliberations from the conference are set to ignite new ideas, inspire innovative solutions, and pave the way for the commons the globe looks forward to.
