UN deal sets Nairobi apart as a city of breaking up stalemates

The about 5,000 delegates who gathered in Nairobi this week from different parts of the world had hoped to come up with an azimio – a Kiswahili word for a political accord or declaration.

By end of Friday, they had also struck a maafikiano, a Kiswahili for an agreement, settlement or mutual understanding.

The Maafikiano – which guides the United Nation Centre for Trade and Development’s (Unctad) work programme for the next four years – sets Nairobi apart as a city for breaking up major global stalemates.

The Kenya International Convention Centre (KICC) where Unctad delegates reached the Maafikiano is the same centre where the World Trade Organisation ministers gathered seven months earlier to break global trade negotiations that had stalled for 20 years.

Final Unctad agreement came out at 10:20am after long days of haggling helped by caffeine pills, candies, and soft drinks, the agency said.

"I'm delighted that our 194 member states have been able to reach this consensus, giving a central role to UNCTAD in delivering the sustainable development goals," UNCTAD Secretary-General, Mukhisa Kituyi, said.

Triumphant mood

"With this document, we can get on with the business of cutting edge analysis, building political consensus, and providing the necessary technical assistance that will make globalisation and trade work for billions of people in the global south," he said.

Untad14 President, Amina Mohamed, Kenya’s foreign affairs and international trade secretary who also chaired the December talks, was equally in a triumphant mood.

READ: Trade negotiators close to a deal as battle of wording continues

“I cannot begin to tell you how I feel right now," she told negotiators sitting in the tightly packed room at KICC. "It's a good day for Kenya, a good day for UNCTAD, and a big win for multilateralism," she said.

The Azimio, first document agreed by negotiators represents a broad expression of the social and economic state of the world.

The conference took place as analysts remain gloomy about the outlook for the world economy. In the global north, many people have grown skeptical about the benefits of globalisation, while poverty and inequality remain pervasive in the south.

“For many at Unctad, their work remains more important than ever, supporting populations to seize the opportunities of globalisation and protecting the same people from the downsides, by working on the inter-connected issues of trade, investment, technology, and finance,” the UN agency said in a statement.

The conference saw the launch of a new e-trade initiative, the first UN statistical report on the Sustainable Development Goal indicators, the launch of a multi-donor trust fund on trade and productive capacity, and the commitment of more than 90 countries for a roadmap on fisheries subsidies.

 The conference featured fashion show, highlighting the creative and commercial potential of Kenya's fashion industry, the launch of this year's Economic Development in Africa Report, and the highlighting of issues around non-tariff measures, debt, and illicit financial flows.