UNEP to Host Major South-South Development Expo in Nairobi

UNEP to Host Major South-South Development Expo in Nairobi

Delivering Successful Green Solutions from the South to the World

Nairobi, 3 October 2013 - This month high-level delegates from across the globe will gather at the headquarters of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, Kenya, to spotlight, showcase and scale up innovative local solutions to global problems at the 2013 Global South-South Development Expo. South-South cooperation has already given birth to many inspiring initiatives. For example, under the en.lighten initiative over 40 countries from the developing world are following a global strategy on the phase-out of inefficient lighting, leading to a significant reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions. Then Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia have committed to conserving and sustainably managing the Heart of Borneo— 220,000km2 of tropical forest on the island of Borneo and one of Asia’s last great rainforests—which is home to the threatened orangutan, pygmy elephant, clouded leopard, and the critically endangered Sumatran rhino. The Expo—hosted by UNEP in close coordination with the UN Office for South-South Cooperation from 28 October to 1 November—aims to harness such Southern-grown development solutions, which address both existing and emerging development challenges head-on. “Some of the most extraordinary answers and solutions to environmental sustainability and sustainable development in the 21st century are today emerging from the South,” said Achim Steiner, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director. “The Expo is an opportunity to showcase these catalytic and forward-looking projects, transformations and ideas that can underpin a transition towards an inclusive Green Economy for over seven billion people, rising to nine billion by 2050.” South-South cooperation is the exchange of resources, technology and knowledge between developing countries. Today, over US$5 trillion in reserves are held by countries of the global South, which now also account for 47 percent of global trade. This unparalleled economic opportunity could be one of the main engines of growth in the years ahead. Featured experts and high-level presenters at the Expo will include Mr. Steiner, President Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania, South African Minister in the Presidency for National Planning Commission Trevor Manuel, General Assembly President John W. Ashe, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, Director of the UN Office for South-South Cooperation Yiping Zhou, CNN anchor Zain Verjee and others. In addition, for the first time, the Expo will be held in the global South under the overarching theme Building Inclusive Green Economies: South-South Cooperation for Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication. Leveraging the partnership of more than 20 UN agencies and partners, the event is a strategic opportunity for countries, businesses, organizations and citizens alike. All are invited to bring their unique perspectives to the Expo. To find out more about the programme or to register, see: http://www.unep.org/ssc/expo/Home/tabid/130246/language/en-GB/Default.aspx