The 23rd Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum will take place in Nairobi, Kenya from 21 to 25 February 2005. The Session/Forum will conduct its work in Plenary sessions in the form of ministerial consultations devoted to discussions at the ministerial or equivalent level on the implementation of the internationally agreed development goals of the Millennium Declaration within the context of gender and environment, and policy issues related to water, sanitation and human settlements. International environmental governance will also form part of the ministerial discussions.

The meetings will address the implementation of the internationally agreed development goals of the Millennium Declaration, with particular emphasis on Goal 1 (eradicate extreme poverty and hunger) within the context of environment, Goal 3 (promote gender equality and empower women) within the context of gender and the environment, and Goal 7 (ensure environmental sustainability) together with policy issues related to water, sanitation and human settlements.

There will be three pre-session events, namely the Tunza Global Youth Retreat, which will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 16 to 18 February 2005; the Sixth Global Civil Society Forum, which will be held in Nairobi, on 19 and 20 February 2005; and the Global Intergovernmental and Multi stakeholder Consultation on Global Environment Outlook-4, which will be held in Nairobi on 19 and 20 February 2005.

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