Kenya has announced its readiness to host the Seventh Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7), positioning itself as a leading environmental voice on the continent and a key driver of global action on climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss.
Speaking at a media briefing in Nairobi, the country’s Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Dr. Deborah Barasa, said Kenya would approach the global gathering not only as host but as “a bridge-builder and solutions-driven actor” at a time when the world faces a rapidly worsening planetary crisis.
Barasa said the Assembly offers Africa a major platform to insist on fair climate financing, technology transfer, and stronger capacity-building for developing countries. She revealed that Kenya is sponsoring three resolutions on antimicrobial resistance, sustainable artificial intelligence systems, and advancing environmental solutions through sport in a bid to influence the direction of global environmental policies.
On the contentious global plastics treaty, Barasa reaffirmed Kenya’s long-standing tough position. She insisted that any agreement must target the entire life cycle of plastics, including production and consumption, and not merely end-stage waste management.
“Kenya will not endorse a treaty that focuses only on waste. It must address production, consumption, and disposal,”
she said.
UNEP Executive Director, Inger Andersen, commended Kenya for its consistent leadership and support as the host of the UNEP headquarters.
She disclosed that UNEA-7 is expected to attract over 55 ministers and 3,500 delegates, who will deliberate on 19 draft resolutions covering artificial intelligence, minerals and metals governance, wildfires, and the stressed hydrological cycle.
Andersen warned that despite progress made since UNEA-6, including the establishment of a global science-policy panel on chemicals and waste, the planet remains on a dangerous path.
“Environmental threats are accelerating. No nation is spared, and none can solve them alone,”
she said.
The country’s Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Korir Sing’oei, said Kenya has concluded all logistical and diplomatic arrangements to host more than 4,000 delegates, including free Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for participants.
He said security deployments, airport facilitation teams, and VIP protocols are already in place to ensure a seamless event.
The Assembly, scheduled for December 8–12 in Nairobi, will run under the theme “Advancing Sustainable Solutions for a Resilient Planet.” President William Ruto is expected to open the High-Level Segment, where African nations are likely to push strongly for climate justice, equitable financing, and implementation of global decisions long delayed by wealthier nations.
UNEA-7 comes as African governments, including Nigeria, intensify efforts to secure climate-aligned investments, adapt to extreme weather events, and strengthen their negotiation power in multilateral environmental agreements.
By Dare Akogun
