STATEMENT BY HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT UHURU KENYATTA, C.G.H.,AFTER HOLDING TALKS WITH UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERALBAN KI-MOON AT STATE HOUSE, NAIROBI, 28 JUNE 2014

Ladies and Gentlemen

The presence of the Secretary General of the United Nations in Nairobi is ofgreat significance. This is not only because of the importance of United NationsEnvironment Programme, whose headquarters Kenya has hosted with pridesince 1972, but also for the strong message it sends about the importance ofthe environment that is now taking its rightful place high on the global agenda.

This week we were honoured by many distinguished guests from around theglobe. His Serene Highness, Albert the Second, the Prince of Monaco; the UNGeneral Assembly President; as well as the Vice President of Iran. Alongsidethem were 112 ministers; 160 government delegations; leaders of the foremostenvironment and developmental agencies; and over 1200 participants.

They came to Nairobi, the Environment Capital of the World, to debate anddecide on critical issues of environmental health and sustainability. They madedecisions that will have a very real impact on the environment we all live in.

Just as important, they made a strong collective call for the full integration ofthe environmental dimension in the sustainable development agenda after2015 when countries will have collectively decided on a new set of goals toguide their actions to improve the lives of their citizens.

I note with great satisfaction that they also adopted a landmark decision onstopping the illegal trade in wildlife. For the last six months, my governmenthas worked hard to bring this debate to the Environmental Assembly. The hardwork paid off with its adoption as one of the themes that the ministers woulddebate. Even better was the strength of the decision which focused on theneed to do more to stop the illegal wildlife trade at its source, transit anddestination; and to stem the demand that is doing so much to provide thenegative incentives driving the crime.

My Government has taken decisive steps across agencies to halt poaching andtrafficking in wildlife, and we will take up the elements of this decision – andindeed all others that were made this week – and implement them to furtherstrengthen the overall effort.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is important to try and recognise a historical moment as it occurs becausetoo often we only note them in hindsight. This is what the seating of the UNEnvironment Assembly here in Nairobi really was. The world came here to takeon the most pressing challenges to the future of mankind. We as a country arehonoured to be the location for a conversation of such import.

That this happened in Nairobi is the result of the boldness of vision that allowedKenya to seek to host UNEP 43 years ago. It was then the first UN agency to be

headquartered in Africa, and today it is part of four UN Headquarters – the onlyone in the Global South.

We will continue to nurture the United Nations in Kenya. It is a priority for mygovernment and for our people. Our commitment, plus the presence of aglobally competitive pool of Kenyan professionals, and the geographicalcentrality of Kenya to a region that is the subject of so much United Nationsaction, means that we offer real value to the UN organisations operating here.

Ladies and Gentlemen

We are pleased to note that the presence of the United Nations in Kenyacontinues to grow and deepen. UNAids has just started its global IT hub here inNairobi and the World Health Organisation has located its global security unithere. These are only recent examples of UN agencies taking advantage of theIT and human resource advantages Nairobi offers.

We intend to build on this and will work with the UN and its agencies to offer asmuch support as necessary to aid their work.

We are doubling the diplomatic police unit and working further with the UN onits infrastructure improvement plans to ensure their experience and work inKenya, for the world, remains top class.

Ladies and Gentlemen

We have noted that one of the landmark reforms the Secretary General haseffected is a broad drive to make UN operations more cost effective andefficient by utilising technology. My government supports this drive and isready to work with the Secretary General to ensure that these effortsare fully realised in Kenya.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I want to end on a more personal and heartfelt note.

Mr. Ban Ki-moon, you deserve a special thank you from all of us. As UNEA hascome into its own, your years of support for the cause of global environmentalsustainability, and for UNEP’s place in it, have been crucial. You have been animportant part of the movement toward and from Rio where the worldproclaimed “The Future We Want” and ruled that our interaction with natureshould be harmonious for the sake of the living and the yet to be born. Thereare few other works that a Secretary General of the United Nations has takenup that are of such importance. Thank you for recognising that, and for beingso steadfast in your pursuit of it.

Be confident that you have in me, and my Government, a partner goingforward.

Thank you all and God bless you