NAIROBI, Dec. 13 — The seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) concluded late Friday with the adoption of eleven resolutions, three decisions and a ministerial declaration to advance the resilience of the planet and its inhabitants.
Adopted through consensus, the resolutions seek to boost the conservation of coral reefs, the sound management of minerals and metals essential to the energy transition, circularity, and the reduction of the ecological footprint of artificial intelligence.
In addition, delegates pledged to promote international cooperation to combat wildfires, strengthen the environmental dimension of antimicrobial resistance, protect glaciers, and address seaweed blooms.
UNEA-7 President Abdullah Bin Ali Al-Amri said the impact of these resolutions will be felt by communities if they lead to cleaner air and water, restored ecosystems, and the unlocking of green jobs.
The world’s highest decision-making body on the environment, the UNEA comprises 193 UN member states and meets biennially to set priorities for the global environmental agenda.
This year’s edition, which took place against a backdrop of geopolitical headwinds, resolved to strengthen multilateral environmental agreements and frameworks to advance an inclusive green agenda.
Inger Andersen, the executive director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), said that UNEA-7 set the stage for revitalized action on the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature loss, pollution and waste.
“We must hurry down this path to make good on our collective promise to deliver real solutions for a resilient planet and resilient people,” Andersen said.
Matthew Samuda, Jamaica’s minister of water, environment and climate change, was elected as the president of UNEA-8, which will be held in December, 2027, at UNEP headquarters in Nairobi.
“We must work to strengthen the science-policy interface, scale up financing for adaptation and resilience, and accelerate the transition to sustainable production and consumption systems,” he said. (Namibia Daily News /Xinhua)
