Kibaki in Brazil for UN summit

President Kibaki is in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.

The President will join an estimated 130 Heads of State and Government expected to attend the Rio+20 conference that will run from 20-22 June.

Besides world leaders, the conference will bring together thousands of participants from the private sector, civil society and other groups, to deliberate on how to reduce poverty, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection.

The official discussions will focus on two main themes; how to build a green economy to achieve sustainable development and lift people out of poverty; and how to improve international coordination for sustainable development by reforming and strengthening of the Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development (IFSD).

Of particular importance to Kenya will be deliberations on the Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development which will focus, among other things, on the transformation of the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) into a specialised institution on environment or the United Nations Environment Organisation (UNEO).

The proposed UNEO is expected to operate on an equal footing with other UN specialised agencies, enjoying political status with stable and predictable funding. This will enable it to effectively execute its mandate as the principal international body for the environment.

President Kibaki is expected to call for this transformation of Unep into a United Nations Environment Organisation. This follows his decision to send out Special Envoys to lobby various key countries for support for the transformation of Unep into a United Nations Environment Organisation, with its headquarters in Nairobi.

Both the African Group and European Union are the main proponents of UNEO based in Nairobi as contained in the African Union Consensus Statement on RIO+20 as adopted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in January 2012. The Chinese Government has also endorsed the African Union position.

President Kibaki is accompanied by Foreign Affairs minister Sam Ongeri, Chirau Mwakwere (Environment), East Africa Community minister Musa Sirma, Attorney General Githu Muigai and MPs Kiema Kilonzo and Peris Simam.