As it concluded in the Kenyan capital on Friday, the UN Environment Assembly approved 17 resolutions and decisions that sought to redefine how humans interact with the natural world. It also adopted a ministerial declaration.
UNEA-6 adopted a package of action plans, from promoting sustainable lifestyles to the responsible management of chemicals and waste and sand and dust storms, with over 7,000 delegates from 182 UN Member States and over 170 ministers in attendance in Nairobi. The action plans called for prompt action to curb overconsumption and take more intelligent, environmentally friendly steps towards sustainability.
During Friday’s concluding session, UN Environment Programme Executive Director Inger Anderson stated, “The world needs action, speed, and real, lasting change.”
She stated that a ministerial declaration reaffirmed the determination of the international community to mitigate climate change, preserve the environment, and establish a society free of pollution.
“We need to make sure that everyone on the planet has access to a safe and healthy environment, and UNEA-6 has given us an extra push in that direction,” she stated.
Action needs to be quick and coordinated in light of the triple planetary crisis that the world is currently facing from pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change, according to UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed.
The African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with its 17 Goals, would be expedited, according to her, by the intense UNEA-6 deliberations and decision.
In a video message, the Deputy UN Chief stated, “We cannot afford to deplete nature’s resources without facing serious consequences.” “The choices we make now will determine our fate tomorrow.”
At its founding in 2012, UNEA-6—also referred to as the “world parliament on the environment”—became the highest decision-making body in the sector. Helping to restore the balance between humans and the natural world is the straightforward aim.
Delegates at UNEA-6 discussed everything from solar engineering approaches to the application of artificial intelligence over the course of the five-day conference.
Among the resolutions that were passed were ones that addressed the best ways to stop desertification and one that offered guidelines on how the globe can safeguard the environment both during and after conflicts.
