European Union

Highlights for Wednesday, 13 March 2019 Delegates conferring during a break in negotiations Delegates at UNEA-4 raced to complete negotiations on all outstanding draft resolutions on Wednesday, in preparation for the High-Level Segment, which begins Thursday. 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. UNEP launched the GEO-6 report and related publications today in a series of interactive dialogues and presentations.In the evening, the COW reconvened, and delegates further approved a resolution on Enhancing UNEP’s Science-Policy Interface and Endorsement of the GEO. The EU withdrew its proposed resolution on deforestation and agricultural commodity supply chains, and Switzerland withdrew its proposed resolution on geoengineering governance, in both instances citing a lack of consensus.Delegates adopted the draft procedural report of the COW by rapporteur Putera Parthama (Indonesia). Coimbra expressed warm thanks to Parthama and the UNEP Secretariat, and conveyed his appreciation to OECPR Chair Francisca Ashietey-Odunton and all members of the CPR for their work in presenting “a mature set of decisions” that had enabled work to progress. Delegates also conveyed messages of support, and Coimbra gaveled the meeting to a close at 8.41 PM.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. For more details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from OECPR-4 and UNEA-4, which is available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Launch of the Sixth Global Environment Outlook report (GEO-6) From L-R: GEO-6 Assessment Co-Chair Paul Ekins; Paolo Soprano, Co-Chair, High-Level Intergovernmental and Stakeholder Advisory Group (HLG); Yi Huang, HLG Co-Chair; Nadya Yuti Hutagalung, UNEP Environment Goodwill Ambassador; Joyeeta Gupta, GEO-6 Assessment Co-Chair; Robert Watson, Chair, Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES); and Lewis Pugh, UNEP Patron of the Oceans and endurance swimmer Robert Watson, Chair, IPBES Nadya Yuti Hutagalung, UNEP Environment Goodwill Ambassador Robert Watson, Chair, IPBES, with Maarten Kappelle, UNEP Joyeeta Gupta, GEO-6 Assessment Co-Chair, with Robert Watson, Chair, IPBES Pierre Boileau, Head of GEO-6 Unit, UNEP, and Joyeeta Gupta, GEO-6 Assessment Co-Chair Dan Ma and Sorin Simplaceanu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), receiving Certificates of Achievement for their contributions in GEO-6 View of the panel during the discussion GEO-6 Assessment Co-Chair, Joyeeta Gupta Yi Huang, HLG Co-Chair Lewis Pugh, UNEP Patron of the Oceans and endurance swimmer Paolo Soprano, Co-Chair, HLG GEO-6 Assessment Co-Chair Paul Ekins Pierre Boileau, Head of GEO-6 Unit, UNEP Mandy Van Den Ende, Utrecht University Shlok Sachdev, Premier Academy Charlotte Wanja, Alliance Girls High Scool Panel discussion with authors of GEO-6 for Youth. L-R: Moderator Gul Mohsen, University of Nottingham; Maria Jesus Iraola Anton, University College London; Alamoud Alkhatlan, Arabian Gulf University; Mandy Van Den Ende, Utrecht University; and Sarah Nyawira, Nairobi Convention Secretariat Alamoud Alkhatlan, Arabian Gulf University Sarah Nyawira, Nairobi Convention Secretariat National Statements in UNEA-4 Plenary Erik Grigoryan, Minister of Nature Protection, Armenia Khalil Bin Musleh Al-Thaqafi, President, The General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection, Saudi Arabia Carolina Schmidt Zaldívar, Minister of the Environment, Chile Aboud Gabir Saeed, Secretary-General, National Council for Environment, Sudan Delegates from Saudi Arabia Joseph Jouthe, Minister of Environment, Haiti Tserenbat Namsrai, Minister of Environment and Tourism, Mongolia Committee of the Whole View of the dais during the Committee of the Whole session Andrés Felipe Marmolejo Egred, and David Olarte Amaya, Colombia From L-R: Matthew Billot, UNEP; Toral Patel-Weynand, US; and Lori Dando, US Ahmed Abu Thahet, Palestine, and Hazem Shabat, Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Kenya Patrick Luna, Brazil, and Ulf Björnholm, UNEP COW Chair Fernando Coimbra, Brazil, COW Special Rapporteur Ida Bagus Putera Parthama, Indonesia, and Theophillus Waluyo, Indonesia Delegates conferring before the session Between Sessions "Making the Invisible, Visible" lounge installation Delegates relax at an installation of lounge furniture to raise awareness of the hidden hazards of toxic chemicals in everyday objects, jointly staged by the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions (BRS), the Secretariat of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), and the UNEP Chemicals and Health branch.

Highlights for Friday, 8 March 2019 International Women's Day On Friday, delegates at the fourth Open-Ended Committee of Permanent Representatives (OECPR-4) sought to complete negotiations on all draft resolutions and forward clean text for adoption at the fourth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-4). At the closing plenary on Friday evening, OECPR-4 Chair Francisca Ashietey-Odunton (Ghana) commended Member States on their hard work and cooperation. UNEA President Siim Kiisler (Estonia) advised delegates that a revised draft of the ministerial declaration was available, noting that sincere efforts had been made to accommodate all concerns, while maintaining the action-oriented nature of the document. The plenary recommended that the OECPR-4 should forward the agreed resolutions and decisions to the fourth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-4) for adoption. These were on: protection of the marine environment from land-based activities, mangroves, coral reefs, peatland, nitrogen management, and the Fifth Programme for the Development and Periodic Review of Environmental Law (Montevideo V). They also forwarded draft decisions on implementation and follow-up of UNEA resolutions, and management of trust funds. They mandated the five working groups to continue in open-ended discussions over the weekend on the remaining 21 drafts. Negotiations continued over Saturday and Sunday, reaching agreement on: sustainable mobility; the Montevideo V programme; mineral resource governance; and the poverty-environment nexus; the implementation plan “Towards a Pollution-free Planet."Highlights of the final stage of OECPR-4 negotiations included: Finalizing of text on four draft resolutions on biodiversity and ecosystems by Friday evening; Agreement on most provisions of the resolutions on the environmentally sound management of waste and on the sound management of chemicals and waste; Revision of the text of the Ministerial Declaration, incorporating suggestions raised in consultations; Submission of revised text on the governance of geoengineering, for further debate; and Agreement on several draft resolutions on environmental governance by Sunday evening, including on mineral resource governance, and the poverty-environment nexus. For more details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from OECPR-4 and UNEA-4, which is available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Plenary Session From L-R: UNEA-4 President Siim Valmar Kiisler, Estonia; Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director, UNEP; Chair Francisca Ashietey-Odunton, Ghana; Jorge Laguna-Celis, Secretary, Secretariat of Governing Bodies, UNEP; Marek Garztecki, Poland; and Ulf Björnholm, UNEP UNEA-4 President Siim Valmar Kiisler, Estonia Jorge Laguna-Celis, Secretary, Secretariat of Governing Bodies, UNEP Chair Francisca Ashietey-Odunton, Ghana Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director, UNEP Jorge Laguna-Celis, Secretary, Secretariat of Governing Bodies, UNEP, and Sebastian Gil, EU Miriam Ott and Tobias Cabani, Germany Working Group 1 - Innovative Solutions for Environmental Challenges and Sustainable Consumption and Production Secretariat and Working Group 1 co-facilitators during negotiations Abdullah Tawlah, Saudi Arabia Patrick Luna, Brazil Kathryn Bacher, US Anne Martine Norli Solstad, Norway Working Group 2 - Resource Efficiency, Chemicals and Waste Secretariat and Working Group 2 co-facilitators during negotiations Noluzuko Gwayi, South Africa Noorah Algethami, Saudi Arabia Andrew Clark, US Jorge Peydro Aznar, EU Working Group 3 - Ecosystems and Biodiversity Management and Protection Secretariat and Working Group 3 co-facilitators during negotiations Toral Patel-Weynand, US Maria del Rosario Lemos, Colombia Marc Richir, EU Zijun Zhao, China Working Group 4 - Environmental Governance Co-facilitators Agus Justianto, Indonesia, and Sunil de Silva, Sri Lanka Lino Santacruz Moctezuma, Mexico Luca Marmo, EU Martine Rohn, Switzerland Fernando Coimbra, Brazil Working Group 5 - UNEP Programme of Work and Related Issues Secretariat and Working Group 5 co-facilitators during negotiations Zerubabel Getachew, Ethiopia Gustavo Baptista, Brazil, and Sebastian König, Switzerland Erasmo Martínez, Mexico Hai Yu, China Dan Carl, US, and Sebastian Gil, EU International Women's Day Getting ready for UNEA-4

Highlights for Thursday, 7 March 2019 Delegates drafting new text On Thursday, the fourth Open-Ended Committee of Permanent Representatives (OECPR-4) sought to make significant progress toward completing negotiation of draft resolutions, ahead of the fourth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-4). Four working groups convened during the day and the fifth, on environmental governance, met in the evening. Delegates also discussed the draft ministerial declaration in the evening, and informal discussions continued throughout the day.Highlights of the day included: Agreement on a draft resolution on sustainable nitrogen management; Progress on marine litter discussions, including consensus that activities relating to scientific and technological knowledge about marine litter, including plastic litter and microplastics, should be strengthened; Introduction of a revised text on deforestation, renamed “Reducing deforestation in supply chains”; Discussion on peatlands, emphasizing the need to increase awareness of the extent of peatlands across the globe; and Affirmation of the importance of sustainable consumption and production (SCP) for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. For more details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from OECPR-4 and UNEA-4, which is available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Consultation on the Ministerial Declaration Keisuke Takahashi, Japan Gudi Alkemade, EU Wilson Sumner, US Marta Juárez Ruiz, Costa Rica Working Group 1 - Innovative Solutions for Environmental Challenges and Sustainable Consumption and Production Secretariat and Working Group 1 co-facilitators during negotiations Noer Adi Wardojo, Indonesia Elizabeth Nichols, US Hugo Schally, EU Abdullah Tawlah, Saudi Arabia Working Group 2 - Resource Efficiency, Chemicals and Waste Marc Richir and Bénédicte Jenot, EU Belsis Llorente Díaz, Cuba Delegates from Japan Working Group 3 - Ecosystems and Biodiversity Management and Protection Co-facilitator Julia Pataki, Romania Laksmi Dhewanthi and Agus Justianto, Indonesia From L-R: Patrick Luna, Brazil; Co-facilitator Martin Gronda, Argentina; and Francisco López Achával, Argentina Working Group 4 - Environmental Governance Secretariat and Working Group 4 co-facilitators during negotiations Beth Fernald, US Lino Santacruz Moctezuma, Mexico Zerubabel Getachew, Ethiopia Michael Makonombera, Malawi Working Group 5 - UNEP Programme of Work and Related Issues Sebastian König, Switzerland, and Dan Carl, US Fernando Coimbra and Patrick Luna, Brazil Co-facilitators Lori Dando, US, and Lukáš Pokorný, Czech Republic Denise Musat and Sebastian Gil, EU Maria del Rosario Lemos, with Sergio Salazar Alzate, Colombia Between Sessions