The fourth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-4) continued its third day of discussion on 13th March, UNEP headquarters, Nairobi, Kenya.
Delegates at UNEA-4 raced to complete negotiations on all outstanding draft resolutions today, in preparation for the High-Level Segment tomorrow. The Committee of the Whole (COW) convened briefly in morning and afternoon plenaries, and agreed to forward texts on food loss, biodiversity, and arrangements for UNEA-5, single-use plastics, and marine litter and microplastics, to UNEA-4 for adoption. Informal discussions continued into the evening on draft resolutions addressing deforestation, geoengineering, and the GEO process.
Key highlights:
- Agreement on resolutions on marine litter and microplastics, and on single-use plastics, and the role UNEP can play in these related issues;
- Conclusion of negotiations on arrangements for UNEA-5, setting in place an intersessional process and preparation of an action plan to implement all provisions of the Rio+20 outcome on strengthening the role of UNEP (paragraph 88), including progressive consolidation of headquarters functions in Nairobi (sub-paragraph g);
- Dialogues with youth and other stakeholders of the GEO-6 process, which put forward proposals for adopting more sustainable pathways;
- An address by UNEP Patron of the Oceans and endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh, urging action to combat the degradation of the world’s oceans; and
- National statements by many Member States and heads of agencies, outlining their actions to promote sustainable consumption and production (SCP), fight climate change, and halt biodiversity and habitat loss.
