 |
Ministers Gather in Nairobi on Environment Challenges
2nd Global Ministerial Environmental Forum Opens
The second Global Ministerial Environment Forum and 21st session of the Governing Council of the U.N. Environment Program (UNEP) opened here on Monday to tackle the environment challenges facing the world.
"A strong signal of our determination to adopt a new ethic of conservation and stewardship in all our environmental actions would be to ensure the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol. Therefore, I urge you to work towards its entry into force by 2002, " U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in his written message delivered to the conference.
"We want implementations, not conventions," urged a Japanese girl and a Kenyan young man from the UNEP Youth Advisory Council at the opening ceremony.
The Kyoto Protocol, aimed to reduce green house emissions, has been ratified by only developing countries so far, with no nation from the developed world turning on a green light for it.
Some 83 environment ministers from around the world are here attending the conference
Topics like the links between environment and poverty, issues on clean and renewable energy, as well as natural disasters are expected to be discussed at the meeting.
At the UNEP governing council meeting, delegates will set the organization's budget and work program through 2003.
Among those expected to attend are Nigerian Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka and Mark Moody-Stuart, the oil giant Shell Corporation's managing director.
In This Section
|