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Happening during the year of 50th anniversary of UNEP,and at a time when the global economies are trying to open up after a devastating global pandemic,UNEA 5.2,which was basically the second segment UNEA 5,attracted a myriad of events including the Open-Ended Committee of Permanent Representatives(OECPR),Global Major Groups and Stakeholder Forum,Global Youth Environment Assembly and UNEP@50 among other side events.
The OECPR comprises of all permanent representatives to UNEP and prepares for meetings of UNEA and regularly reviews the implementation of its decisions.
The Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum (GMGSF) helps Major Groups and Stakeholders to prepare their input and participation in the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) and associated meetings while the Global Youth Environment Assembly convened by the UNEP Major Group for Youth and Children in which the Partnerships For Change’s Alphonce Muia sits in the Global Steering, is a collective youth participation in the processes of environmental governance within UNEA.It was the first in-person UNEA for PFC to participate after acquiring accreditation status with UNEP during the Summer of 2020
Alphonce gives an opening statement during the Global Youth Environment Assembly
From 21-25 February,the OECPR met to consider draft resolutions to forward to UNEA for discussions and adoption.
UNEA 5.2 had an arduous assignment of delving deep into negotiations that were expected to deliver ambitious outcomes on resolutions clustered under 5 categories;Marine plastic pollution,Nature based solutions and biodiversity,Chemicals and minerals,Green recovery and Circular economy,Organizational and administrative matters.
At the entrance of UNEP complex there was a towering plastic artwork showing if UNEA 5 was to make anything very progressive,it was a very ambitious decision on cluster one on closing the tap of plastic manace that has not only ravaged marine ecosystems but also caused serious health problems to the global population. “We found nano plastic traces and also phthalates, a chemical product that we use to soften plastic, in my blood, and I don't think my blood is unique and I think this is true for all of us on the planet,” the President of UNEA 5 and Minister for Environment and Climate in Norway, Espan Barth Eide said during his opening remarks.
The unwavering pursuit for this compelling vision to make a step towards turning off the tap of plastic pollution was sustained all through the negotiations and the decision to establish an intergovernmental negotiating committee to end plastic pollution with negotiations starting on June made it the second-fastest environmental agreement to move from adoption to negotiations stage after the decision to make UNFCCC in the 1990s signifying the sense of urgency and commitment.
UNEA 5.2 finally delivered a resounding success with the adoption of the following 14 resolutions:
To serve as UNEA’s input to the Stockholm+50 international Meeting in June,a ministerial declaration to achieve SDGs and rebuild a resilient and sustainable post-pandemic world was adopted.
The UNEP@50 special session provided a platform to reflect on how best to tackle the triple planetary crisis through a high-level opening ceremony attended in-person by the various heads of states including the Presidents of the republic of Kenya,Nigeria,Botswana and the prime minister of Central African Republic among others joining virtually.Leadership dialogues and multistakeholder dialogues also followed these topics.
Written By:
Alphonce Muia
Partnerships For Change
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 22nd and 23rd 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 1st 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 2nd 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:
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 50thcommemoration 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.
Your Invitation: Click Here
Where: Zoom (Register Here)
What: Webinar for the Toxic Free Future for Our Children (TFFFOC) Initiative
When: Tuesday, December 8th (9:00 AM -10:45 AM PDT)
Donate Link:
Partnerships for Change would like to invite you the first Webinar and Funding Event on Tuesday, December 8th for the global Toxic Free Future for Our Children (TFFFOC) initiative, which is supported by the Vatican’s Laudato SI’ Movement and will feature Keely and Pierce Brosnan and their film “Poisoning Paradise,” A film that exposes the effects of pesticide use and the environmental injustices on a local population.
Partnerships for Change is excited and proud to be the fiscal sponsor for TFFFOC and work together with our global partners to help raise much needed awareness and funds to solve our global toxicity crisis that is harming all of us, especially our children.
TFFFOC aims to discover and communicate the true economic cost of the use of the most ubiquitous toxic chemical groups and to thus help solve the global toxicity crisis, which has severely damaged our natural immunity as well as increasing the prevalence of multiple diseases.
This shift of focus from the current total concentration on the health damage caused by toxic chemicals to a new balanced focus on the economic risk, health and safer solutions for investors, health insurers, public institutions, brands, and consumers, will we believe lead to rapid and real change.
TFFFOC has bought together some of the top global independent experts in economic risk assessment, science, and media to help us reach our goal of protecting the long-term health of this and future generations.
Please find full details of the initiative by clicking here.
Please also find the official invite attached and register here for the Zoom event on Tuesday December 8th (9:00 AM -10:45 AM PDT) (The first hour will be presentations with Q&A following for 30-40 mins)
One of the projects we are most excited to work with is the Great Green Wall documentary. This documentary combines African culture with a massive green-wall project that could bring hundreds of thousands of jobs to Africa while also pulling millions of pounds of carbon from the air.
We wanted to share an update on the Green Wall itself, as it is easily one of the most ambitious projects ever crafted by multiple nations, and one that many people know little about. ((Source: Great Green Wall Documentary Website)):
It can be argued that every climate change/economic project is critical. But the implications of this project could be incredible. The ability for multiple countries to work together, to create new trees/land, and to take that much carbon out of the air with their projects can have amazing implications. This can transform the debate, and potentially the world.
