European Union

Highlights for Wednesday, 23 January 2019 Delegates pose for a family photo on the first day of the conference Major Groups and Other Stakeholders convened in Singapore, ahead of the senior officials’ meeting on 26 January and the high-level segment with environment ministers on 27 January. Discussions took place around the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) 2019 theme, “Innovative solutions for environmental challenges and sustainable consumption and production (SCP).”In the morning, Dechen Tsering, Regional Director, UN Environment Asia Pacific, emphasized the importance of civil society engagement with UNEA. Hazri Hussain, Permanent Representative to UN Environment, Singapore, highlighted Singapore’s aim of becoming a zero-waste nation. Indigenous rights activist and keynote speaker Joan Carling, Philippines, drew attention to the challenge of ensuring the poor and rural communities truly benefit from development. Two panel discussions took place, on people’s innovative solutions, and on nurturing nature through SCP.In the afternoon, participants met in seven parallel workshops on agriculture, environmental challenges, systemic barriers, community partnerships, youth response, environmental governance, and just transition. In report-backs, they highlighted concerns including pesticide regulation, migration and labour rights, community conservation protocols, the governance of geoengineering, and climate change as “a burning issue” for youth.In dialogue with UNEA President Siim Kiisler (Estonia), participants voiced concerns about access to UNEA negotiations. Kiisler announced a EUR100,000 grant from the Government of Estonia to support CSO travel to the Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum in Nairobi, Kenya, ahead of UNEA-4 in March.Two side events took place at lunchtime, on the role of women in renewable energy, and on unleashing the power of youth in sustainable development. The Carnegie Climate Geoengineering Governance Initiative hosted an evening reception for all participants. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and a summary report from the 3rd Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific, which is available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Sean Wu For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Opening Plenary Dechen Tsering, Regional Director, UN Environment Hazri Hassan, Permanent Representative of Singapore to UN Environment A room view during the opening plenary Delegates watching a video on development justice Joan Carling, Champion of the Earth, Lifetime Achievement Awardee Pankajbhai Bachubhai Thesia, India Session 1 - People’s Innovations to Address Environmental Challenges in Asia-Pacific Elenita “Neth” Daño, Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration Ajay Kumar Jha, Director, Centre for Community Economics and Development Consultants Society, India Francis Kim Upgi, International Trade Union Confederation Asia Pacific The dais during the session on “People’s Innovations to Address Environmental Challenges in Asia Pacific” Prem Singh Tharu, Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact Md Zakir Hossain, Founder and Chief, Krisoker Sor, Bangladesh Rengam Sarojini Vijaya, Malaysia Oyunchimeg Myagmarjav, Executive Director, Institute for Future, Mongolia Shashi Singh, India Mrinalini Rai, Global Forest Coalition and ICCA Consortium Session 2 - Nurturing Nature through Sustainable Consumption and Production from the Ground The dais during the session on nurturing nature through sustainable consumption and production Lorelei Covero, IBON International Gomer Padong, PhilSEN Shaila Shahid, International Centre for Climate Change and Development, Bangladesh April Porteria, Philippines Moderator Mrinalini Rai, Global Forest Coalition and ICCA Consortium Shahriar Hossain, Bangladesh Ghulam Mustafa Mirani, Pakistan Side Event: Unleash the Power of Youth in Asia Pacific for Sustainable Development Goals This event showcased the ‘Global Environment Outlook-6 (GEO-6) for Youth in Asia Pacific’ report, a youth-oriented version of the GEO-6 report. The process aimed to enhance the knowledge of youth and young professionals in the three thematic areas of the natural environment, human health, and the built environment and sought to promote a better understanding of the region’s emerging environmental issues, their causes, and effects. The event provided a platform for young leaders and professionals to share their insights on sustainable behavioral change, and highlighted existing initiatives in the Asia-Pacific driving actions towards the achievement of the SDGs. A photo of participants taken before the side event Participants at the side event Side Event: Empower Women in Renewable Energy, Technology Transfer and Climate Action to #SolveDifferent Asia Pacific This event explored the role of gender in environmental management, and discussed ways the Asia-Pacific region can drive the transition to more equitable and sustainable solutions. Participants shared experiences about the leadership and inclusion of women in government, the private sector, and civil society. Speakers included Elenita ‘Neth’ Daño, ETC Group; Esther An, City Developments Limited; Thida Kheav, Co-founder and CEO, SOGE Company; Åsa Heden, Embassy of Sweden in Bangkok; Chu Thi Thanh Huong, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Viet Nam; and Nagaraja Rao, Private Financing Advisory Network. A room view during the side event Delegates during the side event Afternoon Sessions (L-R) Dhanushki Abhayaratne, Center for Poverty Analysis; Md Zakir Hossain, Founder and Chief, Krisoker Sor, Bangladesh; Julius Cainglet, Vice President, Federation of Free Workers - International Trade Union Confederation Asia Pacific; Anish Shrestha, Youth for Environment Education and Development Foundation; and Ghimire Dilluprasad, NGO Federation of Nepal Subrata Sinha, Conference Secretary and Regional Environmental Affairs Officer, UN Environment Asia Pacific The dais during the interactive session Siim Kiisler, President of UNEA and Minister of Environment, Estonia Delegates posing a group photo with Siim Kiisler, President of UNEA and Minister of Environment, Estonia Around the Venue

Highlights for Wednesday, 23 January 2019 From L-R: Fernando Coimbra, Brazil; Martin Gronda, Argentina; and Vinicius Trindade, Brazil The Intergovernmental Meeting on the Sixth Global Environment Outlook (GEO-6) resumed on Wednesday, 23 January 2019, at the UN Environment (UNEP) headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. Delegates met in the morning, afternoon, and into the evening, to complete the paragraph-by-paragraph reading of four sections of the Summary for Policymakers (SPM). On the section on drivers of, and responses to, environmental degradation they discussed the following issues: greenhouse gases biodiversity oceans and coasts land and soil freshwater, and the changing environment The section on effectiveness of environmental policies involved discussions on policy innovations, diffusion, and enforcement.On future pathways they conferred on: the need for urgent, sustained and inclusive actions pathways towards achieving sustainable development innovations and transformation required to achieve environmental goals, and benefits from following sustainable pathways IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary report from the Negotiation of the GEO-6 Summary for Policy Makers, 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. Luciano Donadio Linares, Argentina GEO-6 Assessment Co-Chair Paul Ekins, UK Co-Chair Edgar Gutiérrez-Espeleta, Costa Rica, with GEO-6 Assessment Co-Chair Paul Ekins, UK Sebastian Gil, European Union Anne Martinussen, Norway Stuart Mangold, South Africa Sibylle Vermont, Switzerland Delegates during the lunch break Miriam Ott, Germany Pascale Collas, Canada Lori Dando, US Vinicius Trindade, Brazil GEO-6 authors Anne Martinussen and Guri Sandborg, Norway Matthew Billot and Jason Jabbour, UNEP Gillian Bowser, Colorado State University, with Sibylle Vermont, Switzerland Zhuo Zhuang, China James Mathew, India Felipe Cortes, Chile GEO-6 Assessment Co-Chair Joyeeta Gupta, India Nobukazu Naniwa, Japan Cheikh Fofana, Senegal Isaac Dladla, Eswatini Co-Chair Aziza Geleta Dessalegn, Ethiopia Harouna Ramata Abba Kiari, Niger Muhammad Asif Sahibzada, Pakistan Co-Chair Edgar Gutiérrez-Espeleta, Costa Rica Afsane Moeeni, Iran Nino Gokhelashvili, Georgia Vincent Fleming, UK Jamil Mtoor, Palestine Around the venue

Highlights for Monday, 21 January 2019 Group photo at the opening of the conference The Intergovernmental Meeting on the Sixth Global Environment Outlook (GEO-6) opened on Monday, 21 January 2019, at the UN Environment (UNEP) headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. In the morning, Jorge Laguna-Celis, Secretary, Secretariat of Governing Bodies and Stakeholders, UNEP, opened the meeting. Delegates then listened to opening remarks from Co-Chair of the High-level Intergovernmental and Stakeholder Advisory Group (HLG) Paolo Soprano (Italy), Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director, UNEP, and Keriako Tobiko, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Kenya. Delegates also addressed organizational matters including election of officers and listened to presentations on the GEO-6 process and the content and key messages of the draft GEO-6 Summary for Policymakers (SPM). Delegates thereafter shared their general views of the draft SPM, which will remain embargoed until its adoption by member states on Thursday, 24 January 2019. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary report from the Negotiation of the GEO-6 Summary for Policy Makers, 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. From L-R: Jian Liu, Chief Scientist, UN Environment (UNEP); Keriako Tobiko, Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Kenya; and Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director, UNEP Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director, UNEP, and Keriako Tobiko, Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Kenya Jian Liu, Chief Scientist, UNEP, with Stadler Trengove, UN Legal Officer Keriako Tobiko, Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Kenya Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director, UNEP Lori Dando, US Jorge Laguna-Celis, Secretary, Secretariat of Governing Bodies, UNEP Co-Chair Paolo Soprano, Italy Laksmi Dhewanthi, Indonesia Sebastian Gil, European Union Martin Gronda, Argentina, with Sergio Salazar Alzate, Colombia Marta Juárez Ruiz, Costa Rica Martin Gómez Bustillo, Argentina GEO-6 Assessment Co-Chair, Joyeeta Gupta, India GEO-6 Assessment Co-Chair Paul Ekins, UK Guri Sandborg, Norway Lonkham Atsanavong, Lao People's Democratic Republic Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director, UNEP, and Jorge Laguna-Celis, Secretary, Secretariat of Governing Bodies, UNEP Participants conferring before the opening session. Vanessa Lim, Singapore Pierre Boileau, Head of GEO-6 Unit, UNEP Matthew Billot, Regional Coordinator, UNEP Delegates from Argentina conferring during a break. Maribe Mujinga Nsompo, Democratic Republic of the Congo Elizabeth Taylor, Colombia Vincent Fleming, UK Co-Chair Marek Garztecki, Poland Sibylle Vermont, Switzerland Arthur Eijs, the Netherlands Anne Martinussen, Norway Ambinintsoa Noasilalaonomenjanahary, Madagascar Idrees Malyar, Afghanistan Around the venue

  Highlights for Wednesday, 16 January 2019 Participants observed a moment of silence for the victims of the terrorist attacks in Westlands, Nairobi, that took place on the previous day. The Ad hoc Open-ended Working Group (AHWG) opened on Wednesday with the observance of a minute of silence for the victims of Tuesday's suspected terrorist attack in Nairobi. The Co-Chairs led the tribute for the victims and their families, and in solidarity with the people and government of Kenya.The AHWG resumed consideration of the Secretary-General’s report on “Gaps in international environmental law and environment-related instruments: towards a global pact for the environment” (A/73/419), covering chapters on, respectively, environment-related instruments (trade, investment, intellectual property, and human rights), gaps related to the governance structure of international environmental law (IEL), and gaps relating to the implementation and effectiveness of IEL.Among the points raised were: The role of UNEP and the United Nations Environment Assembly, and their relationship to other parts of the IEL regime; The scope of the AHWG’s mandate regarding environment-related instruments, and the autonomy of MEAs; Gaps in the UNSG’s report, including corporate responsibility for environmental damage; The merits of an overarching normative framework for IEL, and the respective merits of specialization in MEAs; Links between implementation of IEL and means of implementation; The role of non-state actors and resources to facilitate their participation in the AHWG process; Inter-MEA coordination and synergies, including recognition of ongoing work, and whether synergies are best achieved at the national level; Links between the AHWG mandate and Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals; Implementation at various scales, including local, regional, and global, and capacity building for stakeholders, including judges; The scope of the AHWG, including state and civil liability; and The merits of continuing with a facilitative model of compliance in MEAs. Bilateral conversations also continued throughout the day, as delegations sought to clarify numerous issues in order to develop their positions. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, povided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from the 1st Substantive Session of the Ad Hoc Open Ended Working Group Towards a Global Pact for the Environment. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Co-Chair Amal Mudallali, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Lebanon Luciano Donadio Linares and Martin Gronda, Argentina Melissa Cotterill, Australia, and Vigen Ananyan, Armenia Haibo Gou, China Ana Barreira, International Institute for Law and the Environment Co-Chair Francisco António Duarte Lopes, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Portugal, with Jamil Ahmad, UN Environment (UNEP) Pamela Rocha, Ecuador, and Martin Gronda, Argentina Helge Elisabeth Zeitler, European Union Lori Dando, US Akram Mirzakhani, Iran Rana Burley, Canada Pamela Rocha, Ecuador Birthe Ivars, Norway Tom Okurut, Uganda From L-R: Abdullah Tawlah, Saudi Arabia; Wael Aboulmagd, Egypt; and Hussein Roshdy, Egypt Jamil Ahmad, UN Environment (UNEP), with Abdullah Tawlah, Saudi Arabia Maribe Mujinga Nsompo, Democratic Republic of the Congo Marta Juarez Ruiz, Costa Rica Shannon-Marie Soni, Canada Nassira Rheyati, Morocco Helge Elisabeth Zeitler and Sebastian Gil, European Union Nazrul Islam, Bangladesh Vinicius Trindade, Brazil Wael Aboulmagd, Egypt Yacouba Savadogo, Burkina Faso Clement Yow Mulalap, Federated States of Micronesia Maria del Rosario Lemos, Colombia Nathan Glassey, New Zealand Rútur Arnarson, Iceland, and Peter Doran, IISD Reporting Services Saglar Djerang, Chad Marco Balarezo, Peru Around the venue  

  Highlights for Monday, 14 January 2019 View of the room during the morning session The first substantive session of the Ad Hoc Open Ended Working Group (AHWG) towards a Global Pact for the Environment (A/RES/72/277), convening at the United Nations headquarters in Nairobi, was opened Monday by Co-Chair Amal Mudallali, Lebanon. Macharia Kamau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kenya, acknowledged France’s role in bringing forward the initiative and described how the proposed pact could help address a fragmented international environmental law framework. The Acting Director of UN Environment (UNEP) and Assistant UN Secretary-General, Joyce Msuya, invited frank discussion and encouraged an inclusive process that engages with civil society and academia. After adopting the AHWG’s provisional agenda (A/AC.289/3) and considering financial issues for the process, the AHWG Co-Chairs, Mudallali and Francisco António Duarte Lopes, Portugal, invited delegates to offer general statements. Many delegations welcomed the report of the UN Secretary-General, entitled “Gaps in international environmental law and environment-related instruments: towards a global pact for the environment” (A/73/419), while some sought to ensure a wider member state-led discussion on gaps. The G-77/China highlighted links between implementation gaps in international environmental law and the lack of resources, technology transfer, and capacity. The European Union called for a wider discussion than the content of the Secretary-General’s report, and cautioned against any weakening of existing international environmental standards. The African Group called for greater focus on the 1992 and 2012 Rio Declarations. The United States observed that the Secretary-General’s report does not comply with its mandate and is not fully objective nor an accurate reference text. She cautioned that many of the “gaps” identified in the report reflect intentional decisions by member states in specific MEAs, and that the report shows bias towards the option of a global pact. The Russian Federation warned against the AHWG setting up a new framework for environmental protection, given the functional role of fragmentation in helping achieve consensus on international environmental matters. Many other delegations gave general statements. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, povided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from the 1st Substantive Session of the Ad Hoc Open Ended Working Group Towards a Global Pact for the Environment. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Co-Chair Francisco António Duarte Lopes, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Portugal Co-Chair Amal Mudallali, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Lebanon Macharia Kamau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kenya Sebastian König, Switzerland Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director, UN Environment (UNEP) Delegates conferring during the morning session Shannon-Marie Soni, Canada Uriel Norman Garibay, the Philippines Fernando Coimbra, Brazil Marta Juarez Ruiz, Costa Rica Jean Kenfack, Cameroon Suzan Moh'd Al Ajjawi, Bahrain Martin Gomez Bustillo, Argentina Abdu al-Sharif, Saudi Arabia Burhan Namik Al-Jaf, Iraq Tidiani Couma, Monaco Elizabeth Taylor, Colombia Haibo Gou, China Langston James "Kimo" Goree VI, Director, IISD Reporting Services, with Dan Bondi Ogolla, former Principal Legal Adviser, UN Climate Change Framework Convention (UNFCCC) Secretariat Slaiman Arabiat, Jordan, and Ernesto Gomez Diaz, Cuba Raoul Renard, International Chamber of Commerce Angela Wright, Compassion in World Farming Sebastian Gil, European Union (EU), with Jorge Laguna-Celis, Secretary, Secretariat of Governing Bodies, UNEP Antonio Benjamin, International Council of Environmental Law (ICEL) Sunday Evening Opening Reception From L-R: Luisa Fragoso, Permanent Representative with the UN Office in Nairobi, Portugal; Macharia Kamau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kenya; Co-Chair Francisco António Duarte Lopes, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Portugal; and Co-Chair Amal Mudallali, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Lebanon