The fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly concluded on Wednesday with 14 resolutions to strengthen actions for nature to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.
The Assembly is made up of 193 UN member states and convenes every two years to advance global environmental governance.
The resolution that received a lot of attention was the one on plastic pollution that has grown into an epidemic.
After vigorous negotiations, the Assembly unanimously agreed to develop a legally binding treaty, a move Kenya backed.
The adopted resolution ‘End Plastic Pollution: Towards a legally binding instrument’, establishes an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee that will develop the specific content of the new treaty with the aim of completing its work by the end of 2024.
Among the issues set to be considered during the development of the new treaty include global objectives to tackle plastic pollution in marine and other environments.
A mechanism for providing policy-relevant scientific information and assessment as well as the one for providing financial support to the treaty implementation will be considered.
Others set to be considered include national and international cooperative measures, national action plans and reporting towards the prevention, reduction and elimination of plastic pollution and how the treaty will be implemented.
UNEP executive director Inger Andersen said this was the most significant environmental multilateral deal since the Paris accord.
Inger lauded the resolution, saying it will go a long way in dealing with the plastic menace due to the fact that it recognises that plastics are transboundary in nature, and it will take the full lifecycle approach that will be international cooperation, including finance and means of implementation.
“There will be dimensions of access to technology, we will deal with scientific and technical cooperation. But the bottom line is we will eliminate plastic pollution from our environment,” she said.
Inger said chemicals and toxins are often invisible as they creep into the bloodstream.
Espen Barth Eide, the president of UNEA-5 and Norway’s Minister for Climate and the Environment, said the Assembly showed multilateral cooperation at its best.
“With today’s resolution, we are officially on track for a cure.”
Amina J Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the UN said, “Today, no area on the planet is left untouched by plastic pollution, from deep-sea sediment to Mount Everest. The planet deserves a multilateral solution that speaks from source to sea. A legally binding global agreement on plastic pollution will be a truly welcome first step.”
A second resolution supports the establishment of a comprehensive and ambitious science policy panel on the sound management of chemicals and waste and preventing pollution.
The Ministerial Declaration recognises humanity’s failure to manage chemicals and waste.
The third resolution agreed by the Assembly focuses on nature-based solutions-actions to protect, conserve, restore, sustainably use and manage ecosystems.
The resolution calls on Unep to support the implementation of such solutions, which safeguard the rights of communities and indigenous peoples.
Environment CS Keriako Tobiko could not hide his joy following the adoption of the resolutions.
"What we have witnessed today gives us tears of joy not only the resolution to end plastic pollution but all the resolutions that will make the world a better place for future generations," Tobiko said.
The CS said children are celebrating as they have been given hope.
“We got the courage to put aside our differences for the sake of humanity.”
During the Assembly Leila Benali, Minister of Transition and Sustainable Development for Morocco, was elected as the president of UNEA 6.
The Sixth Session of the UN Environment Assembly will be held at Unep headquarters in Nairobi from February 26 to March 1, 2024.
