Highlights and images for 8 March 2019

Summary

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

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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