#environment #climate change #ocean #plastic #microplastic #chemicals & waste #biodiversity #sustainable development #SDGs
The second United Nations Environment Assembly of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEA-2) met from 23-27 May 2016 in Nairobi, Kenya.
The High-Level Segment included interactive dialogues aimed at identifying relevant partnerships, policies, and tools in areas including air quality, ecosystems, and chemicals and waste management. Ministers also discussed and endorsed the Global Thematic Report on "Healthy Environment, Healthy People."
The meeting adopted 24 resolutions and two decisions, including e.g. delivering on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, supporting the Paris Agreement, sound management of chemicals and waste, sustainable consumption and production, prevention, reduction and reuse of food waste, oceans and seas, biodiversity, illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products etc.
Informal discussions on the sidelines on the UNEA stakeholder engagement policy and a ministerial outcome document did not achieve consensus and neither of the draft documents were adopted.
On marine litter and microplastics, the resolution calls on governments at all levels to further develop partnerships with industry and civil society and the establishment of public-private partnerships, and to organize and participate in annual campaigns for awareness-raising, prevention and environmentally sound clean-up of marine litter. It further calls on product manufacturers and others to consider the lifecycle environmental impacts of products containing microbeads and compostable polymers, and on UNEP to assess the effectiveness of relevant international, regional and sub-regional governance strategies and approaches to combat marine plastic litter and microplastics. Implementation of this resolution is requested be reported at UNEA 3. We'll follow the future discussion on this topic.
Please refer to UNEA 2 resolution webpage and the Earth Negotiations Bulletin webpage for more details.