Kenya has expressed its disapproval of the decision made by the Santiago Network advisory board to shift the Loss and Damage hub's headquarters from Nairobi to Geneva. The choice was described by Kenyan officials as "very wrong and unfortunate" as Nairobi was previously acknowledged as the most suitable location based on an assessment conducted by the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC) earlier this year. The analysis was carried out by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), which shortlisted five potential locations for consideration, with Nairobi being favored as the optimal site.
Since the issue arose during COP28 in Dubai, where it risked hindering the Network's operationalization, it was deferred to the advisory board for resolution. The selection of Geneva over Nairobi has sparked controversy, with Kenya challenging the decision as conflicting with the evaluation conducted by the host institutions of the entity, UNOPS and UNDRR. The country argues that the headquarters' location should be in close proximity to the client states most affected by climate change impacts, particularly those in the global south.
The Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) is backing Kenya's stance on the matter, expressing concern over the advisory board's dismissal of recommendations from UNOPS-UNDRR and opting for Geneva, the third-ranked candidate in the analysis. Dr. Mithika Mwenda, the executive director of PACJA, criticized the decision, highlighting the injustice of relocating the hosting rights of a platform representing the struggles of frontline communities in climate crisis situations from a third-world country. PACJA denounced the choice made by the advisory body as 'null and void,' urging investigating authorities, particularly from Africa and other developing countries, to look into potential collusion and manipulation by industrialized nations.