How Kenya won battle to host Unep in Nairobi

United Nations Enviroment Assembly President Oyun Sansjaasuren (centre) speaks during a conference in Nairobi, Monday. With her are Unep Chief Scientist Jacqueline M C Glade (left) and UN Undersecretary General and Executive Director Achim Steiner. [Photo: George Njunge/Standard]

Nairobi, Kenya: As the United Nations Environment Assembly (Unea) opened in Nairobi Monday, the event marked one of the greatest diplomatic coups for a developing country.

The story of United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) and Unea goes back to the 1960s when several developed countries first conspired to frustrate formation of an environmental body within the UN and then engaged in even greater conspiracy to keep the headquarters from the Third World.