Kenya and Sweden co-hosted the Stockholm+50 Preparatory Meeting ahead of the June’s International meeting themed “a healthy planet for the prosperity of all – our responsibility our opportunity”. The meeting convened by the President of the General Assembly was held at the UN headquarters in New York on March 28, 2022.
The meeting was co-chaired by H.E. Mr. Keriako Tobiko, Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Forestry and H.E. Ms. Annika Strandhall, Climate and Environment Minister of Sweden and was attended by UN Member States, International bodies, NGOs and other stakeholders. The meeting concluded with a series of recommendations for leadership dialogues expected to mobilize the global community behind strengthened cooperation and accelerated innovative action on environment.
Kenya’s delegation to the Preparatory Meeting was led by CS Environment and Forestry, Keriako Tobiko. Speaking at the preparatory meeting, the Cabinet Secretary emphasised the need to ensure complementarity between Stockholm+50 and UNEP@50 in order for the International meeting to leverage on the outcomes of UNEA5.2 and UNEP@50 and stressed that this is paramount for bold action to be attained.
“It is my hope that Stockholm+50 will aim to undertake a multi-stakeholder approach that prioritizes the inclusion of the youth, as they are the custodians of the environment and the future planet, women, indigenous groups and civil society groups in the decision-making process,” the CS stated.
Sweden’s Minister for Climate and the Environment, Annika Strandhäll, said, “We are now in the home stretch of preparations for Stockholm+50. Throughout the conversation I hear a common direction we must translate commitments into action and rethink wellbeing. Stockholm+50 therefore provides an opportunity for the world to come together to chart the course towards a green and fair future for all of us.”
On 29 March, the Stockholm+50 co-hosts, co-chairs and the UN team held a meeting to deliberate on the inputs shared in the preparatory meeting. The meeting was chaired by Amb. Njambi Kinyungu, the Deputy Permanent Representative for Kenya Mission to UN in New York, Amb.Susan Mwangi, Director UN and Multilateral Directorate who serves as Kenya’s focal point for Stockholm+50 and Amb. Johanna Lissinger the Swedish Focal Point for Stockholm+50.
It was agreed that it is prudent for Stockholm+50 to provide a platform for Member States to renew their existing commitments for transformative and bold action to be accelerated.
In May 2021, the UN General Assembly decided to convene the international meeting in Stockholm to commemorate 50 years since the UN Conference on the Human Environment. The meeting will be co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Sweden on 2 and 3 June 2022. It will bring the global community together, reflect and act on the interconnections between development, poverty and the environment.
Beyond UN Member States, stakeholders include organizations and bodies of the United Nations system, intergovernmental organizations, international financial institutions, civil society groups, indigenous peoples’ organizations, academic institutions, the scientific community, the youth, the private sector and philanthropic organizations.
Stockholm+50 is a critical milestone towards renewed multilateralism and strengthened global solidarity. It is a time for bold action and engagement by acknowledging and highlighting the need for international unity, reciprocity, and diversity. This is a time for all actors to find their unique place in a global system, in collaboration with others, to embrace new ideas and commit to a shared responsibility for a better future on a healthy planet with prosperity for all, with a focus on principles of intergenerational responsibility, inclusive participation and interconnections, and implementation opportunities.
