President Kibaki traveld today to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
to attend the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio
+20).
During the conference President Kibaki will lead the Kenyan delegation in
pushing for the upgrading of the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) into a United Nations Environment Organization (UNEO) based in
Nairobi.
Kenya has been lobbying for the transformation of UNEP into a United
Nations Environment Organization, with several key countries pledging
their support.
An upgraded UNEP will be in a position to operate on an equal footing with
other UN specialized agencies which enjoy stable and predictable funding.
This will enable the transformed environment organization effectively
execute its mandate as the principle international body for environment.
In anticipation of a favourable outcome of the Rio conference, the Kenya
Government has set aside a 16 acre piece of land, adjacent to the UN
Complex at Gigiri, which could be used for the necessary expansion of
infrastructure to cater for the proposed upgraded UNEP.
Other issues that will be discussed during the Rio conference include the
reform and strengthening of the United Nations Economic and Social Council
(ECOSOC) to enable the body to play an integrative role in promotion of
the three pillars of sustainable development namely economic, social and
environment.
The conference will also discuss the possible transformation of the United
Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) into a Sustainable
Development Council (SDC) through a merger of the Global Ministerial
Environment Forum (GMEF) and the Commission of Sustainable Development
(CSD).
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