My UNCTAD'14 Memoir

The recent United Nations Conference on Trade and Development held in Nairobi, Kenya, was a first time opportunity for me to attend a High Level United Nations event aside Model United Nations which I have been accustomed to attending a foretime. Held in quadrennials since its founding in 1964 in Geneva Switzerland, the 2016 edition was the 14th edition of the conference, and the second of its kind to be held in Nairobi Kenya from 17th to 22nd July 2016, under the caption ‘From Decision to Actions’.

My journey to Nairobi was afforded by sheer benevolence of friends and colleagues, as a tight personal budget sinisterly constrained by the dire down spiral of Nigeria’s economic situation almost strangled my desire to attend the conference. However, with a timely intervention by Dr. John Alonge, who linked me with Chambers Umezulike offerring to host my proposed stay at Nairobi, and an intersection of favourable climes in my work place at the time of the conference, catalysed my efforts to attend the conference.

Captioned from Decisions to Actions, the Conference was held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, Nairobi. Preconference events of Regional Group Meetings, Workshops sessions of the World Investment Forum and activities at the Global Commodities Forum and Civil Society Forum on 15th-17th July, signalled the prelude to the main conference. Arriving Nairobi in the wee hours of 16th July, I was welcomed by a legendary courteous diplomatic treat, such as afforded to UNCTAD’14 delegates at the Immigration point. Fearing to venture into town at that time of the morning, I was provided security assurance by some Kenyan Policewomen on duty at the airport. One of them offered to help dial my host to inform him of my arrival.

My stay at Nairobi afforded me the opportunity of hooking up with some Zain Africa Challenge colleagues. As such, Barrister Charles Mwalimu aided this by picking me at the airport to the reunion spot at Mlolongo. As much as I thought I’d prepared for the conference, I was besmirched by the Nairobi weather which was damn too cold for me at 11 -15 degrees Celsius.

Reunion Photo with Some Kenyan Zain Africa Challenge 2009 Colleagues
From left: Albert Gicheha (Kenyatta University), Me at the centre and Barrister Charles Mwalimu (Busoga University) at the right

The conference itself was an agglomeration of several side events such as The Youth Forum, Civil society Forum, World Investment Forum; held in concomitant tandem with the main track of Ministerial Round tables and Negotiations of stakeholders of member Nations. At the opening plenary, the Nigerian delegation was led by The CEO of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mr Olusegun Awolowo, and subsequently, the Minister for Trade and Investment, Dr Okechukwu Enelama was present to front the Nigerian course at subsequent ministerial forums at the conference.

With the Nigerian Delegation at the Opening Plenary Session led by Mr Olusegun Awolowo (Left)

The opening plenary session had the following dignitaries in attendance: UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon; Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta; Ugandan Vice President, Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi; Kenyan Cabinet, Secretary for Foreign Affairs Amina Muhammed, UNCTAD’14 Secretary General, Mukhisa Kituyi among other important dignitaries.

Drawing from the conference theme which was apparently inspired from the newly launched Sustainable Development Goals, the UNSG in his opening remarks expressed deep concerns about the growing trend of ethnic Nationalism around the world, which is posing a threat to globalization and its recent gains; a cumulative of which will hamper efforts at attaining the SDGs by 2030.

Trade must provide prosperity in ways that work for people and planet and respond to the challenges of climate change.... We must also put a proper value on assets, such as ecosystem services, and correctly price systemic and interconnected risk, such as that posed by climate change. There are more than enough savings in the global economy to drive the transformation that the SDGs call for, but our investments need to become better aligned with sustainable development....Ban Ki Moon

UNSG, Ban Ki Moon delivering his opening remarks at UNCTAD'14 opening plenary session

I struggled to work my conference schedule to attend other side events aside the Youth Forum which I was registered for; but as much as I tried, the concurrence of events on the programme schedule didn’t help my course.

The Youth Forum was formally inaugurated on 19th July by the UNCTAD’14SG, after sundry informal activities aimed at team building and bonding. In his opening remarks, the UNCTADSG emphasized the uniqueness of UNCTAD; a rare UN agency where every member nation has an equal voice and a vote unlike most UN agencies where a nation’s vote is equal to the number of contributory dollars it has. He urged youths to intensify their respective developmental activities to help shape the world we want as we would be development drivers and have to account for the tenure of the SDGs by 2030, and then set another global agenda beyond that date.

Youth Forum Delegates Bonding with the UNCTAD'14 SG, Mukhisa Kituyi

The Forum was divided into three breakout sessions for delegates to discuss thematic subjects on Quality Education, Better Jobs and Government/State Accountability. I joined the education group and in the end, each group drafted a working document on these subthemes to serve as the official Youth Declaration Document to be presented the Ministerial High level event segment of the Youth Forum.

My discussion Subgroup teammates in the Education thematic group 

It was enthusing slinging ideas with delegates from different National backgrounds on the thematic issues and noting several peculiar regional problems bothering on these thematic subjects.

Rubbing minds with Priyash Bista after the end of the Ministerial High Level event of the UNCTAD'14 Youth Forum

I found time to attend World Investment Forum sessions of the High Level Tripartite Conference on Investment Promotion in the SDGs and Promoting Investment in Urban Development. At both sessions, it was obvious that East Asian Nations led by China would provide the investment impetus to effect development in the Global South Nations whilst development funding was satirely hailed as a trillion-dollar question.

The Panellist at the High Level Tripartite Conference on Investment Promotion in the SDGs

The Global commodities hub provided an opportunity for member states to show case investment opportunities in their respective countries, especially by display of produce/commodities locally accustomed to member nations. I found time to explore the scenario and was greeted with the dominant display of various typologies of Kenyan tea and coffee. I was told Kericho county produce the best Kenyan tea. I ended up shopping for tea to present as travel souvenir to my colleagues back home.

Made friends with the Thailand delegation at the Global Commodities Hub

The Conference winded up with closing sessions at the various side events and capped with the closing ceremony, plenary session and the signing of the Nairobi Consensus, to drive UNCTAD’s agenda for the next four years. Heavily constrained by funds, I could not afford safari tours; however, I comforted myself with the warm hospitality of my host and his neighbours at the University of Nairobi Hostel. No thanks to the deft culinary skills of Sudanese born Kordofan lady in Chichiley Haroun, my taste buds were groomed to East African delicacies such as Ugali, Mokimo and Mandazi.

Grooming my taste buds to East African Delicacies. Ugali on show

After an enthralling moment at Nairobi, I made my way back to Nigeria humming the UNCTAD’14 Youth Forum Theme Song composed by Elani,..Together! Pamoja!. and rethinking the course to action on driving the global development agenda from my local corner.