United Nations Environment Assembly is the world’s highest-level decision-making body on the environment which addresses the critical environmental challenges facing the world today. This assembly brings together ministers of the environment from all the 193 member states, policy makers, scientists, civil society and the private sector to provide leadership, catalyze intergovernmental actions on the environment and accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals .

From the establishment of UNEP in 1972 to 2012, Governing council of the UNEP which only comprised of 58 member states remained at the helm of environmental governance after which universal membership was opened and the UNEA established to take strategic decisions and provide political guidance on environmental issues facing the planet.  Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR) also remains a very important component of intergovernmental environmental processes which was established in 1985 and serves as the intersessional subsidiary body of UNEA. CPR reviews implementation of decisions adopted in UNEA on administrative, budgetary and programme matters and prepares draft decisions for consideration by the UNEA plenary.

In recent years, non-governmental organizations and other members of civil society have had an ever greater impact on the international agenda in many issues more so on environmental governance. With full cognizant that States have the authority to negotiate, sign and ratify treaties, the ability of organizations and institutions which are independent of a governments (NGOs, religious groups, foundations, charities, etc.) influence the decisions to be adopted as they provide technical expertise and knowledge, dedication and enthusiasm which bring colossal impact to the environmental debate. For this purpose Partnerships For Change sought and was granted accreditation status by UNEP on July 2020 where it collaborates with several organizations within the NGOs caucus to influence environmental decisions at the high level meetings and follows up to the implementation stage.

The fifth assembly of UNEA was slated to be held on 22^nd and 23^rd February 2021.

Due to the global Covid 19 pandemic a decision was adopted by the UNEA bureau to apply a 2 step approach in the case of UNEA 5 where the 1^st part was planned to be held virtually to address the procedural and administrative issues while the substantive matters that need a more in-depth negotiation were deferred to the resumed 2^nd part of UNEA 5 on February of 2022.

Partnerships For Change followed keenly the Faith and Environment as well as water consultations of the Youth environment assembly where Alphonce Muia our Director of Environmental Science gave keynote speeches. 

On the Global major Group and Stakeholder Forum, we made comments that were captured in the NGOs major group message to UNEA5 President on toxic chemicals through consultations with the Partnerships For Change Toxic Free Future For Our Children (TFFFOC) working group whose principals are Henry Rowlands and Anne Robertson, Co-founders of TFFFOC and Jacqueline Miller,  Founder & CEO, PFC.  The women champions of this effort are action and impact oriented and as such, call themselves Green Bond Girls in recognition of support from the makers of Poisoning Paradise, by Pierce Brosnan (007 James Bond) and Keely Brosnan.

 The panelists in the virtual session of Faith and the Environment in the Youth Environment Assembly

UNEA 5 president, Sveinung Rotevatn, who is also the minister of Climate Environment in Norway led the discussions around the four main agenda items for the virtual assembly working towards “Strengthening actions for Nature to achieve Sustainable Development Goals” which included:

• Programme of Work and Budget and other administrative and budgetary issues.
• International environmental policy and governance issues.
• Contributions to the meetings of high level political forum on Sustainable Development and implementation of the environmental dimension of the 2030 agenda for Sustainable development.
• 50^thCommemoration of creation of UNEP by United Nations Conference on Human Environment.

Layout of the inteprefy platform during the UNEA5 proceedings

 

 Partnerships For Change delegation

The key achievement for the assembly was that three procedural decisions were adopted: Endorsement of the Medium-Term Strategy for 2022-2025, and programme of work and budget for the biennium 2022-2023; the management of trust funds and earmarked contributions and convening an in-person second part of the UNEA5 in 2022. These decisions allows UNEP to continue its work of strengthening the environmental dimension of the 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development. Towards the conclusion of this meeting marked by various technological glitches due to its online nature, the president of Kenya launched the 50^thcommemoration of UNEP calling it a period of celebration and reflection.

The address of the President of Kenya, on the edge is the UNEA 5 president and the UNEP Executive director

RECOGNITION OF FULL INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF WELL-BEING OF PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT

The delegates appreciated that the health of human beings and planet are inextricably linked as attested by COVID 19 among other zoonotic diseases and all called for collective efforts in fighting the pandemic and apply measures of building forward better and greener in post pandemic strategies.