• The source questioned the motive of some countries saying Kenya has what it takes to host the secretariat.
• She said the motive by some countries might be aimed at weakening UNEP, in a calculated move aimed at moving it to other countries.
Image: ENOS TECHE.
Kenya’s bid to host the plastic pollution treaty secretariat is gaining momentum.
This came months after an advisory board proposed that the Santiago Network on Loss and Damage secretariat be hosted in Geneva, Switzerland, instead of Nairobi. The proposal attracted outrage from players.
The Santiago Network will help catalyse the technical assistance of organisations, agencies, networks and experts for the implementation of approaches for averting, minimising and addressing loss and damage at the local, national and regional levels, in developing countries.
A source familiar with the ongoing lobbying behind the scenes said the state is keen to wrestle the bid to host the plastic secretariat.
“We are keen to host the plastic secretariat,” the source, who requested anonymity, said.
The source questioned the motive of some countries, saying Kenya has what it takes to host the secretariat.
She said the motive by some countries might be aimed at weakening UNEP, in a calculated move aimed at moving it to other countries.
In 1996, the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) was established, becoming one of four major UN office sites and the UN's headquarters in Africa.
This is not the first time Kenya is pushing to have a secretariat based in Kenya.
In February this year, President William Ruto urged the global community to support Africa’s position to have a plastic pollution treaty secretariat in Nairobi.
Ruto spoke when he addressed the high-level segment of the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly in Gigiri.
Early this year civil society organisations have blustered Western countries for ill motives in moving away the loss and damage secretariat.
The Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, its allies and partners, representing the active agency of non-state actors from across Africa, said they were deeply disturbed by the decision.
“Such a decision is the epitome of global injustice and the power-wielding tactics of the Global North to control all the decision-making processes for responding to climate change globally,” PACJA said in a statement.
The advisory board of the Santiago Network on Loss and Damage (SNLD) held its first meeting from March 18 to 20 in Geneva.
The board meeting's main agenda was to consider the technical report by the United Nations Office for Project Services and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction on cost-effectiveness, including a cost-benefit analysis.
These were to be considered as options for the location of the head office of the secretariat from a pool of potential locations.
PACJA accused the board of tactfully veering off from the task and conveniently avoiding the recommendations of the UNOPS-UNDRR report.
“In the assessment process, UNOPS-UNDRR strongly recommended Nairobi as the optimal location to host the network based on their thorough analysis using scientifically-proven methodologies from a shortlist of various other locations such as Addis Ababa, Bonn and Geneva," PCJA said.
"This analysis from UNOPs-UNDRR to the advisory board was blatantly and contemptuously ignored and the board selected Geneva, which was ranked third in the analysis.”
PACJA said five locations were selected for further screening against set criteria that assessed operational costs, operational efficiency and other factors.
These were Addis Ababa, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and Nairobi.
PACJA said Nairobi scored 1.5 out of two in terms of operational efficiency, 1.6 out of two in terms of cost and one out of one in terms of other factors.
The overall score was 4.10 out of the possible five scores.
Germany scored two in terms of operational efficiency, cost (1.2), and other factors (0.7), a move that saw the country score 3.85 out of the possible five.
Geneva scored two in terms of operational efficiency, cost (0.8) and other factors (1.0). Its total score was 3.75 out of a possible five.
PACJA said Belgium posted 2.0 in terms of operational efficiency, cost (1.2) and other factors (0.6), bringing the total score to 3.75.
Ethiopia scored 1.5 in terms of operational efficiency, cost (1.2) and other factors (0.6), bringing the total score to 3.25.