Mr. Lee Maanee, Vice Minister of Environment, is leading the Korean delegation to the 22nd session of the Governing Council/ the 4th Global Ministerial Environment Forum of UNEP, held in Nairobi, Kenya, from Feb. 3 to 7, 2003.

This year, representatives from 58 member countries of the Governing Council, 70 observer countries, 20 international organizations, and many international-level NGOs will be participating, to discuss the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development(WSSD) and UNEP's follow-up to implement its outcome.

The core issues to be discussed are, poverty alleviation, the environmental and sustainable development in a globalized world, changes in the production and consumer patterns, preservation and management of natural resources, which were some of the main issues surfaced during WSSD. Strategies and plans for their implementation within the UNEP framework will be established during the meeting.

This session is also significant for the Korean delegates, as Korea is expected to host the next special session of the Governing Council in 2004.