By Mary Muia, SI United Nations Representative at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
“The United Nations Environment Assembly’s Fifth Session (UNEA 5.2) doubles up as a perfect opportunity for the UNEP fifty years commemoration since its inception at the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment. The Stockholm conference is widely seen as the first international meeting on the environment. It was at the Stockholm declaration that led to the Creation of United Nations Environment Programme and the formation of environment ministries and agencies globally. For the past 50 years, the UNEP has steadily provided coordination among Member States, Major Group Stakeholders, the business community, and Civil Society in addressing the world’s biggest environmental challenges.
The Special Session of the UN Environment Assembly, was held on the 3 – 4 March, heads of states re-affirmed commitment to environmental cooperation during the golden jubilee celebrations with a focus on how to build a resilient and inclusive post-pandemic world.
U.N. Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres
In his statement, Mr. Guterres spoke about the new way forward offered to the world in 1972 with the creation of the UNEP, which had been based on a vision for a better, healthier Earth, and built on the pillars of international cooperation. Over the years, the UNEP and its partners have worked with Member States to combat air pollution, restore the ozone layer, protect the world’s seas, promote a green and inclusive economy, and raise the alarm about biodiversity loss and climate change, showing that multilateralism worked and could deliver solutions for people and the planet.
Mr. Guterres concluded by urging countries to draw on past achievements for inspiration to make the huge efforts needed to ensure that present and future generations could live on a sustainable planet. All countries have a crucial role to play in protecting people and the planet, and all should grasp the opportunities to work together in an active, open, and networked multilateralism.
President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta
President Uhuru Kenyatta recalled some notable environment successes of UN Member States, coordinated through UNEP, including historic conferences like the Rio 1992 Earth Summit and the 1987 Montreal Convention to protect the ozone layer. “I want to commend all Member States for the dedication and diligence that you’ve shown in prioritising the issues that affect our planet. We cannot talk of development, peace, and security without highlighting the nexus with climate change,” he said. The President praised UNEP as an “ecological conscience,” and “a credible platform for nations to come together and act boldly to advance the global environmental agenda.”
In the spirit of celebrating UNEP@50, President Kenyatta concluded by announcing a new bi-annual award of USD$25,000 from the people of Kenya to persons or institutions who champion environmental sustainability and peace.
The theme for the special session was “Strengthening UNEP for the implementation of the environmental dimension of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” The UNEP@50 anniversary was a time for governments and communities to reflect on the past and envision the future. It provided an opportunity to reinvigorate international cooperation and spur collective action to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. ”
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