Ministers meet in Kenya to prepare for crucial UN Environment Assembly

Government ministers have met in Nairobi, Kenya to prepare for the second United Nations Environment Assembly, which will take place in May and will help to shape global environmental policy.

Environment ministers from around the world will meet at the UN office in the Kenyan capital for UNEA to assess and shape international environmental policy.

Bureau members discussed possible themes for the high-level segment of UNEA's next session and the meeting is the UN's highest-level platform for environmental decision making.

The UNEA bureau is made up of over 25 representatives covering 10 countries, including several ministers and deputy ministers for the environment.

The private sector will again play a key role at the Assembly with 25 invited companies participating in the Sustainable Innovation Expo.

Climate Action and the UN Environment Programme will be delivering the 6th Sustainable Innovation Expo and the selected companies will gain an exclusive opportunity to network with ministerial delegations, exhibit sustainable solutions and services, and help to shape the global environmental agenda.

The first UNEA took place from 23-27 June 2014, bringing together high-level delegations from 163 countries including over 100 ministers.

The theme for UNEA-1 was 'Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Post-2015 Development Agenda, including sustainable consumption and production (SCP)’ and the meeting saw the adoption of 16 resolutions, addressing air pollution, illegal trade in wildlife, marine plastic debris, integrated management of chemicals and waste, and the sustainable development agenda.

The high-level segment of UNEA-1's was titled 'A Life of Dignity for All,' and included debate on the SDGs, SCP and illegal trade in wildlife, with particular focus on the escalation in poaching and thre surge in related environmental crime.