President Kenyatta, high level UN officials will inaugurate the vibrant week-long event on Monday morning
NAIROBI, Kenya, October 24, 2013 – More than 1,000 participants, including heads of State and government ministers, will gather in Nairobi on Monday, 28 October, to launch the annual Global South-South Development Expo.
The event, which leverages the partnership of more than 20 UN agencies, is the world’s preeminent forum for showcasing, sharing and scaling up innovative local solutions to global problems. Solutions “for the South, by the South” will take centre stage throughout the week.
Highlights of the Expo will include:
MONDAY 28 October
- Opening Ceremony to feature Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, Chinese Vice-Minister of Environmental Protection Wu Xiaoqing, UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, UNEP Executive Director and UN Under-Secretary-General Achim Steiner and other high level speakers (10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Conf Room 2)
- Ribbon cutting with President Kenyatta and Mr. Eliasson to inaugurate the Expo’s exhibition pavilion (select media only, footage will be available) (11:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Pavilion)
- Leadership Round Table to feature Mr. Eliasson and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner, moderated by Kenyan CNN journalist Zain Verjee (2 p.m. – 4 p.m., Conf Room 2)
- Forum on Ecological Civilization to feature Mr. Eliasson, Mr. Steiner, Prof. Judy Wangalwa Wakhungu, Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Water and Natural Resources, and others (5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Conf Room 2)
- Opening reception hosted by Kenyan government (6 p.m. – 10 p.m., Pavilion)
TUESDAY 29 October
Press conference to unveil international football super star Yaya Touré as the newest UNEP Goodwill Ambassador (12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m., Press Room)
China night reception and cultural show (6 p.m. – 10 p.m., Index Finger Lawn)
WEDNESDAY 30 October
- UN REDD TEDx Event (invitations to arrive via email), featuring UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner, UNEP Champion on the Earth Martha Corzo and others (2 p.m. – 7 p.m., World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF) in Gigiri)
- Solutions Exchange Forum on Environment and Poverty Eradication, led by UNDP, to discuss climate change and poverty, green jobs for the poor, access to energy and employment, and other issues (1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., Conf Room 1)
UN REDD TEDx reception (9 p.m. – 10 p.m., Pavilion)
THURSDAY 31 October
- 16 Partnership Forums throughout the day
- High level Partnership Forum on the South-South Energy Initiative – a project of the UN Office for South-South Cooperation which will be launched in 2014 – to feature Ministers of Energy from Ghana, South Africa and Kenya, among others (2 p.m. – 5 p.m., Conf Room 13)
- Press conference for SEED Awards, to feature a global partnership agreement with corporate sponsor Hisense (5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m., Press Room)
SEED Awards ceremony and cocktail reception (6:30 p.m. – 10 p.m., Auditorium)
FRIDAY 1 November
- Closing ceremony and annual South-South Cooperation Awards to feature Kenyan Vice-President William Ruto, UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner and other high level speakers (10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Conf Room 1)
- Press conference on Expo outcomes, including new partnerships and solutions shared. High level speakers TBC. (1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m., Press Room)
The Expo Pavilion will also be open throughout the week, featuring more than 70 exhibitors in interactive booths.
Please note: due to heavy security, all journalists should arrive at the compound at least 30 minutes early.
If you have not yet picked up your press badge: please do so on Friday, 25 October from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. or on Saturday, 26 October from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the UN Gigiri complex visitors’ pavilion.
To find out more about the Expo, please visit: http://www.southsouthexpo.org/
