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 Visit the full ENB web coverage for Friday and Saturday, 27 and 28 May 2016
The second UN Environment Assembly of the UN Environment Programme (UNEA-2) continued into the early hours of Saturday, 28 May 2016 in Nairobi, Kenya, after a full day of negotiations and other events on Friday.
A ministerial policy review session took place in the morning, in which ministers were presented with the findings of the “Healthy Environment, Healthy People” report, a joint effort of several organizations, including the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Secretariat. Ministers and other high-level delegates proceeded to discuss the topic in two parallel roundtables before lunchtime.
Drafting groups worked through the day to finalize the text of all resolutions.
In the COW closing plenary, delegates accepted the package of resolutions, including resolutions on the UNEP Medium-Term Strategy, Programme of Work and budget. They agreed to change the UNEA cycle so that future meetings will take place in odd, not even, years, with the next meeting to take place in late 2017. Delegates forwarded the package to the UNEA-2 plenary for adoption.
In a late-night session, UNEA-2 accepted a package of 24 resolutions and 2 decisions. Delegates debated whether to put a G-77/China-sponsored resolution on “Field-based environment assessment of the Gaza strip” (UNEP/EA.2/CRP.6) to a vote.
11:20 pm Israel calls for a vote.
11:30 pm Syria calls for a motion of “no action.”
11:57 pm Plenary suspended to allow parties to consult.
12:31 am Plenary resumes.
12: 35 am
G-77/China announces the draft resolution will not be withdrawn.
12:53 am
UNEA-2 Chair invites delegates to vote on whether they wish to proceed to a substantive vote on the Gaza resolution. Brazil and Syria raise points of order.
12:57 am Delegates vote by holding up pink cards. Many abstain.
1:00 am Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director, announces results of the procedural vote: 36 in favour, 4 against, and 35 abstentions. He explains that UNEA requires a quorum of 97 for the result to be valid, and the quorum has not been reached in this case.
1:20 am Egypt questions interpretation of quorum rule. Secretariat apologizes for misinterpretation and says there are sufficient numbers to proceed. US disagrees, moves to suspend the session in the absence of a quorum.
1:45 am Plenary comes to a halt as delegates discuss the status of the meeting on the sidelines.
1:59 am UNEA-2 President calls for a Bureau meeting, asks delegates to remain in the room meanwhile.
2:27 am #UNEA2 Bureau returns to the room. Secretariat to conduct a roll call to check if there is a quorum present.
2:55 am Roll call shows 78 members present. One-third needed to have a legal session. But majority must be here to proceed to a vote. #UNEA2
2:59 am #UNEA2 President calls to adjourn the session, suggest to reconvene 11 am Saturday 28 May.
3:11 am Delegates consider proposal to reconvene. Egypt and Pakistan, question legal status of meeting. Colombia, EU, Ukraine and others express appreciation to all for the hard work done this week, and the agreement on 25 resolutions at UNEA-2.
3:49 am UNEA-2 President notes overwhelming support to close the session rather than reconvening. Many delegates welcome the 24 resolutions previously adopted. Rapporteur presents report of the meeting.
3:56 am #UNEA2 adopts meeting report, President gavels the meeting to a close.
Visit the full ENB web coverage for Friday and Saturday, 27 and 28 May 2016
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