KENYA TO HOST ENV. ASSEMBLY (UNEA-4)

The Fourth Session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-4) the world’s highest-level decision-making body on the environment’ that addresses the critical environmental challenges facing the world today, will take place from 11^th -15^th March 2019 at UNEP in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry is the focal point Ministry, and under the overall theme, ‘Innovative Solutions for Environmental Challenges and Sustainable Consumption and Production, UNEA4 will tackle how innovation is key both to solving many environmental challenges, as well as to accelerating sustainable development, and the meeting is expected to attract a cross-section of global stakeholders including: scientists, innovators, policy-makers, academia, youth groups, religious organizations, inter-governmental organizations, civil society, private sector, business and commerce, and sister UN agencies.

UNEA-4 will also address environmental challenges related to poverty and natural resources management including sustainable food systems, food security, halting biodiversity loss; life-cycle approaches to resource efficiency, energy, chemicals and waste management; and Innovative sustainable business development at a time of rapid technological change.

The UNEA4 Assembly embodies a new era in which the environment is at the center of international community’s focus and will feature a series of meetings in response to the theme. These meetings include: Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum; One planet Summit, Science Policy and Business Forum; Private Sector and Sustainable Innovation EXPO; Faith for the Earth Initiative; Global Business Alliance for the Environment. Other activities during the Assembly will include the interactive Leadership Dialogues, the Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue; national statements on the theme of the Assembly, topical side events, media events and exhibitions. There will also be several receptions that will be hosted including: working breakfasts, consultative luncheons and Gala dinner awards

There are 195 countries in the world today. This total comprises 193 countries that are member states of the United Nations and 2 countries that are non-member observer states: the Holy See and the State of Palestine.