Heated debate likely at UN green body meet

A high-stakes political battle over the UN Environment Programme's (UNEP) MediumTerm Strategy (MTS) is set to dominate the opening of the seventh UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) in Nairobi commencing on Monday, with member states divided on whether the organisation's next five-year mandate should be renegotiated or adopted as is.

- SV KRISHNA CHAITANYA @ Nairobi

In an interaction with journalists ahead of the Assembly, Martin Krause, Director of UNEP's Climate Change Division, told this newspaper, discussions on the 2026-2030 MTS, which defines UNEP's global agenda across climate, biodiversity, pollution and land degradation, remain "fluid", with intense behind-the-scenes bargaining over language and scope.

"It is very fluid, you know, they met yesterday in the afternoon for informals. It is unclear at this moment where this will go. It is fluid, you know, there is a lot of work behind the scenes to find a common ground on certain terminology and language that some countries are opposing," Krause said.