Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday announced a Sh2 million prize to recognise environmental activist and peace champions.
Known as the Amani and Mazingira Global Award, the first recipient will be announced on June 1 this year during the Madaraka Day celebrations.
He made the announcement at the opening session of the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) 50th anniversary.
The award will be given bi-annually to people and institutions who champion environmental sustainability and peace coexistence.
He added that the Peace Champions award will act as a springboard to accelerate the implementation of the UN Decade of access to deliver the SGDs and to encourage the adoption of green post-Covid-19.
Kenyatta also unveiled the commemorative plaque marking the fiftieth anniversary of UNEP.
He was accompanied by President of Botswana, Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi; President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari; Prime Minister of Central Africa Republic, Felix Moloua ; and UNEP Executive Director Inger Anderson.
Kenyatta’s announcement comes a few hours after a historic decision was agreed upon to develop a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution.
The treaty became one of the world’s most ambitious environmental actions since the 1989 Montreal Protocol which effectively phased out ozone-depleting substances.
Following the adoption of the draft resolution on plastics, an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee will now be formed to kick-start work towards a global and legally binding agreement to address plastic menace.