A new United Nations plan to involve all nations in marshalling science to fix environmental problems ranging from toxic chemicals to climate change will be put to the test from Monday at talks in Nairobi.
The 40-year-old UN Environment Programme will open its annual governing council to all the world’s almost 200 nations, up from a current group of 58, under reforms aimed at making the world economy greener at a time of weak economic growth.
“A strengthened UNEP will... improve and enhance international cooperation on the environment,” UNEP executive director Achim Steiner said of the annual February 18-22 meeting in a telephone interview.
Environment ministers or senior officials from about 150 nations are due to attend, out of almost 200 worldwide. Until now, UNEP’s governing council left out many smaller states, from Guyana to Albania. The shift is meant to sharpen world focus on problems such as toxic chemicals, overfishing and global warming. Getting more nations will not necessarily make it easier to reach agreements, but should give UNEP decisions more authority.