{"id":113167,"date":"2024-02-26T17:23:54","date_gmt":"2024-02-26T22:23:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/?p=113167"},"modified":"2024-02-26T17:32:56","modified_gmt":"2024-02-26T22:32:56","slug":"unea-6-opens-with-calls-for-stronger-multilateral-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/blog\/2024\/02\/UNEA-6-Opens-with-Calls-for-Stronger-Multilateral-Action\/","title":{"rendered":"PRESS RELEASE – UN Environment Assembly opens with calls for stronger multilateral action"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nairobi, 26 February 2024 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Ministers of environment and other leaders from more than 180 nations convened today in Nairobi for the start of the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6). With a focus on strengthening environmental multilateralism to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature loss and pollution, this year\u2019s Assembly will be negotiating resolutions on issues ranging from nature-based solutions and highly hazardous pesticides to land degradation and drought, and environmental aspects of minerals and metals.<\/p>\n

The\u202fUN Environment Assembly\u202fis the world\u2019s highest decision-making body on the environment \u2013 its membership includes all 193 UN Member States. It meets biennially to set priorities for global environmental policies and develop international environmental law;\u202fdecisions and resolutions then taken by\u202fMember\u202fStates at the\u202fAssembly also define the work of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are living in a time of turmoil. And I know that in this room, there are people who are, or who know, those deeply affected by this turmoil.\u00a0Our response must demonstrate that multilateral diplomacy can deliver,\u201d Leila Benali, President of UNEA-6 and Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development for the Kingdom of Morocco. \u201cAs we meet here in 2024, we must be self-critical and work towards inclusive, networked and effective multilateralism that can make a tangible difference to people\u2019s lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must also include voices beyond government, of youth, indigenous peoples and local communities, by focusing on issues of gender and human rights, and leaving no one behind,\u201d she added. \u201cAnd today, and at this UN Environment Assembly, we must accelerate multilateral action to strengthen the environmental foundation of sustainable development.\u201d<\/p>\n

As\u00a0climate change\u00a0intensifies<\/a>, a million species\u00a0head towards extinction<\/a>, and pollution remains one of the world\u2019s\u00a0leading causes of premature death<\/a>, UNEA-6 will see countries consider some 19 resolutions, part of a broader push to spur more ambitious multilateral environmental action. The resolutions cover, among other issues, circular economy; solar radiation modification; effective, inclusive, and sustainable multilateral actions towards climate justice; sound management of chemicals and waste, and sand and dust storms.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is time to lay political differences aside and focus on this little blue planet, teeming with life. Time to lift our sights to our common goal: a pathway to a sustainable and safe future,\u201d said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP. \u201cWe do this by agreeing on the resolutions before UNEA-6 to boost multilateral action for today and tomorrow, and secure intergenerational justice and equity.\u201d<\/p>\n

More than 7,000 delegates from 182 UN Member States and more than 170 Ministers have registered for UNEA-6, taking place under the theme,\u00a0effective, inclusive and sustainable multilateral actions to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution<\/em>. Delegates this week will include Heads of State, representatives from government, civil society, and the private sector.<\/p>\n

\u201cUNEA-6 comes at a time when the world is also called upon to accelerate the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda if we are to stay course on sustainable development. Unfortunately, for millions in the developing regions of the world, including here in Africa, poverty still remains a daily reality while economic inequality is increasing globally,\u201d said Soipan Tuya, Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Forestry for the Republic of Kenya. \u201cIt is against this backdrop that the world will be looking to us here in Nairobi this week to renew hope. And hope we must provide.\u201d<\/p>\n

A series of\u00a0leadership<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0multi-stakeholder<\/a>\u00a0dialogues and more than 30 official\u00a0side events<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0associated events<\/a>\u00a0are expected\u202fto\u202flay the grounds\u202ffor\u202fstrengthened future global and regional coordinated efforts by the United Nations, Member States and partners to deliver high-impact planetary action. UNEA-6 will also highlight the importance of cooperation with multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) \u2013 international agreements that address the most pressing environmental issues of global or regional concern and are critical instruments of international environmental governance and international environmental law \u2013 with\u00a0a full day<\/a>\u00a0devoted to strengthening convergence of actions and sharing of experiences while also providing increased visibility to the MEAs.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

NOTES TO EDITORS\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

About the UN Environment Programme\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.<\/p>\n

For more information<\/strong>,\u00a0please contact<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

News and Media Unit<\/a>, United Nations Environment Programme<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ministers of environment and other leaders from more than 180 nations convened today in Nairobi for the start of the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":370,"featured_media":113168,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7511,5270,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-113167","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-press-material","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113167","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/370"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=113167"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113167\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/113168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=113167"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=113167"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=113167"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}