Kenya is set to host the 6th Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6), scheduled for 26th February 2024 to 1st March 2024, at the United Nations Environment Programme Headquarters in Gigiri, Nairobi.
The event themed ‘Effective, inclusive and sustainable multilateral actions to tackle climate change, biodiversity, loss and pollution’, will be attended by Heads of States and Government, ministers of environment and other high-ranking dignitaries.
UN official and multinationals will negotiate on plastic agreement, marine climate and other climate agreements.
Briefing the press on the Conference at a Nairobi hotel, Thursday, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, Soipan Tuya, said currently Kenya is reviewing its regulations, laws, programmes and strategies, to reflect Africa’s climate action priorities, as documented in the Nairobi declaration to back-up the country’s environment.
The CS said President William Ruto, who is the President and the Chairperson of the Committee of the African Union Heads of State and Government on Climate Change, will deliver UNEA-6 National and welcoming statement on 29th February 2024, at the high level segment.
She said through the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agendas (BETA), the government is putting in place measures to address the environment challenges the country has been facing, citing the recent effects of drought, floods and other development activities.
“We have put in place carbon market registries, have set up demonstrations and are accelerating waste management,” said Tuya, adding that Kenya is keen on embracing the circular economy and will pilot with five counties, to actualize the programme.
The CS at the same time stated that the government is working on a raft of regulations that will operationalize and deal with waste and pollution, noting that the Ministry has put in place a number of associations that will create a robust process for waste collection.
“We welcome investors interested in investing in the carbon markets economy. We have active indigenous community groups who want to know the sharing, we will finalize the regulation when parliament resumes,” she assured.
Tuya said during the UNEA-6 there will be various bilateral meetings and side events where the participants will pull together to enhance resolutions that are badly needed following the environment challenges being experienced globally.
She singled out mining, water, agriculture among others, as the key themes of Kenya, of which the country expects good resolutions.
The CS said that in the past one year, the government has put effort in dealing with forest crimes, which has been rampant, disclosing that crime has reduced significantly, assuring that the Ministry is working on restoring the ecosystem and deforestation.
“We are helping communities affected by climate crisis by taking a number of actions to reduce pollution, as we ensure we have adaptive measures that communities have to take to shift from the traditional ways,” she stated.
The Executive Director, UN Environment Programme, Ms. Inger Andersen, said the Assembly UNEA-6 has been organized around six thematic areas that were considered by members in developing the draft resolutions to compel more effective, inclusive and sustainable multilateral action.
Ms. Andersen said 22 resolution have been developed and are being negotiated by the Member States along five clusters.
“This will include two pollution action regulations, minerals, metals, hazardous pollution, water, ocean and seas, climate justice and sustainability, said Ms. Andersen.
She said countries attending the Assembly are expected to tackle the triple climate crisis, pollution and waste that is affecting the global south and the continent, which has led to deaths due to explosion and pollution.
The meeting was also addressed by Ms. Radhika Ochalik, Director, Governance Affairs, UN environment Programme.
The UNEA-6 will also be preceded by the sixth meeting of the open-ended committee of Permanent representative who will lay the groundwork for the Assembly from February 19th to 23rd, 2024.
UNEA is the world’s highest level decision-making body for matters related to the environment.
It sets the global environment agenda, provides overarching policy guidance and defines policy responses, to address emerging environmental challenges.
By Bernadette Khaduli
