Highlights and images for 4 October 2023

Senior Officials Meeting

The triple planetary environmental crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution are interrelated and transboundary in nature. The Asia Pacific region, home to 17 of the 36 global biodiversity hotspots, is facing some of the most adverse impacts of climate change, simultaneously grappling with health challenges arising from air, chemical, and plastic pollution. The need for collective actions is at the forefront of the region’s environmental conservation and restoration efforts, alongside a concerted push for political good will, often garnered at high-level meetings.

The Senior Officials Meeting of the Fifth Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific was attended by high-ranking officials of environment ministries from the region as well as other stakeholders. The meeting featured, among others, a review of implementation of UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) resolutions and discussions on regional inputs to UNEA-6, which will be held 26 February - 1 March 2024.

Opening

Subrata Sinha, UN Environment Programme Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (UNEP ROAP), opened the meeting, which was moderated by Anil Jasinghe, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Sri Lanka, and Chair, Fourth Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific.

Anura Dissanayake, Secretary to the Prime Minister, Sri Lanka, underscored the need to enhance good governance to promote and enact sustainable development, urging delegates to bring strong resolutions to UNEA-6.

Dechen Tsering, Regional Director and Representative, UNEP ROAP, drew attention to the outcomes of meetings held prior to the Forum, including the forums for children and youth; major groups and other stakeholders (MGOS); and science-policy-business.

Firas Khouri, Chair, Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR) to UNEP, Jordan, pointed to the work of the Open-ended CPR (OECPR) in drafting resolutions for consideration at UNEA. He called for bold, timebound resolutions from UNEA-6, in order to spur global environmental action.

Review of Implementation of UNEA Resolutions in the Asia-Pacific Region

Tsering outlined progress on implementing 40 UNEA Resolutions in the region under the following UNEP sub-programmes: climate action; nature action; chemicals and pollution action; science-policy; environmental governance; and finance and economic transformations.

Delegates shared environmental success stories, and important initiatives undertaken in implementing UNEA resolutions, with several noting their commitment and progress, including on:

• the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution (INC) process;
• implementation of Nature-based Solutions (NbS);
• combating air pollution;
• nitrogen management; and
• seagrass and marsh protection.

Regional Input to UNEA-6

Marlene Nilsson, Deputy Regional Director, UNEP ROAP, presented the discussion document contextualizing sustainable multilateral actions to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution in Asia and the Pacific.

Delegates outlined priority action areas, urging that the Ministerial Declaration, which will be the main outcome of the Ministerial Forum, include the need to, among others: promote circular economy; prioritize climate adaptation finances; and support rapid and coordinated on-the-ground action.

Delegates considered the outcomes of the MGOS Forum held on 3 October 2023, noting key messages to the Ministerial Forum, including: placing the rights of Indigenous Peoples and communities at the core of multilateralism; addressing barriers to meaningful participation of MGOS in decision-making spaces; and prioritizing the safety and protection of environmental rights defenders.

They also considered outcomes of the Youth Forum held on 1-2 October 2023, including a call for a UNEA-6 resolution dedicated to the meaningful engagement of children and youth in environmental decision-making processes.

UNEA-6 draft Ministerial Declaration: Abderrazzak Laassel, Representative of UNEA-6 Presidency, Morocco, introduced the UNEA-6 draft ministerial declaration.

Delegates welcomed the Declaration. Three countries introduced draft resolutions for UNEA-6:

• Japan on a synergistic approach to addressing the triple planetary crisis;
• Nepal on addressing fragile ice and snow cover in the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region; and
• Sri Lanka on climate justice, and on sustainable management of cascade irrigation systems.

Senior Officials Meeting Report: Forum Chair Jasinghe presented the Chair’s summary of the meeting. Delegates took note of the summary, and the meeting adjourned at 6:48 pm.