21 February 2011: Opening the 26th session of the UN Environment Programme’s Governing Council and Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GC 26/GMEF), UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner commended the work already being undertaken in Kenya and other African countries in beginning a transformation to the green economy.

The session is taking place in Nairobi, Kenya, from 21-24 February 2011. During the opening ceremony for the session, other speakers included actor Edward Norton, Goodwill Ambassador for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), who praised recent efforts in Rwanda and elsewhere to implement CBD commitments; Henri Djombo (Congo), outgoing UNEP GC President, who emphasized the need to speak with one voice to signal the importance of a stronger framework for international environmental governence (IEG) in the context of sustainable development; Jamil Ahmad, UNEP GC Secretary, who presented a message from Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General, in which he highlighted the establishment of the High-level Panel on Global Sustainability and its contribution to the intergovernmental process leading up to Rio 2012; Joan Clos, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, who said that many management and mitigation measures for climate change must be undertaken at the local level, and require strong local institutions, governments and legislation; and Mwai Kibaki, President of Kenya, who called for a continued spirit of collective action at the UNEP GC 26/GMEF and the upcoming Rio 2012. He also urged nations to support the Green Economy Initiative, adding that developing countries should receive support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Green Fund to achieve green growth.

Steiner’s statement was titled, “Road to Rio 2012: The Imperative to Act in a Dramatically Changed World.” It noted the strong connections between the present meeting and the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) in 2012, calling GC 26/GMEF an early milestone on the Road to Rio. He said the Nairobi meetings, if they provided clear directions, could ensure success in Brazil, as measured “in transformational terms rather than an endorsement of the status-quo.” He also indicated the coming discussions’ significance for the future of UNEP, saying circumstances pointed to a need to “mature and evolve the policies and institutions responsible – nationally and internationally – to keep pace with a fast changing world.” [Statement of UNEP Executive Director] [IISD RS Coverage of GC 26/GMEF]