Introduction

Venue
Venue: Shangri-La Colombo, 1 Gall Face, Colombo 02, Sri Lanka. Courtesy:Shangri-La

The fifth Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific (5th AP Forum) will take place from 3rd to 6th October 2023 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The event is jointly organized by the Government of Sri Lanka's Ministry of Environment and the United Nations Environment Programme, and attendees have the option to participate either in-person or virtually.

The Forum provides a platform for governments, intergovernmental organizations, and other stakeholders to discuss and prioritize environmental issues in the Asia Pacific region. It aims to contribute to the outcome of the sixth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) taking place from 26 February to 1 March 2024 in Nairobi, with the theme "Effective, inclusive and sustainable multilateral actions to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution".

The Forum offers Member States and other stakeholders an opportunity to present an Asia Pacific perspective on discussions at UNEA-6. Participants will review the progress of UNEA resolutions' implementation in the region, as well as the progress made in regional forums and platforms where UNEP is the secretariat. Such forums include the Asia Pacific Clean Air Partnership, Asia Pacific Adaptation Network, Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia, and the Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on Environment and Health.

Furthermore, the Forum will identify regional priorities and emerging issues, and address challenges and opportunities to strengthen the regional environmental agenda, delivering on environmental dimension of the SDGs, and regional commitments to multilateral environmental agreements. Participants will contribute to the draft UNEA-6 result documents, including ministerial statements and draft resolutions, and will share their insights and ideas to achieving the environmental dimension of the 2030 SDGs.

Background

In its second session, the UN Environment Assembly passed a resolution on the 'Role and Functions of Regional Forums of Environment Ministers and Environment Authorities'. The resolution called upon the Executive Director to facilitate and support the convening and strengthening of existing regional forums of environment ministers and environment authorities within the United Nations Environment Programme's mandate and in line with the programme of work and budget.

As a result, the Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific has been convened biennially since 2015.

 
04 - 05 October 2023
[ NOTICE ] Please note that this is a tentative program and is subject to change.
08:00
 
Senior Officials Meeting of the Fifth Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific, 4 October 2023, Wednesday
08:00
09:00

Registration

09:00
 
Agenda item 1: Opening of the Senior Officials Meeting of the Fifth Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific
09:00
09:30

Dr. Anil Jasinghe, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Sri Lanka and Chair of the Senior Officials Bureau, Fourth Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific (Chair)

Welcome

  • Mr. Anura Dissanayake, Secretary to the Prime Minister, Sri Lanka (5 min)
  • Ms. Dechen Tsering, Regional Director and Representative, UN Environment Programme, Asia and the Pacific (5 min)

Inaugural address

  • H.E. Mr. Firas Khouri, Chair of the Committee of Permanent Representatives Bureau, and Ambassador and Permanent Representative of The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Nairobi (7 min)

Election of Officers and adoption of the agenda

09:00
 
Agenda item 2: Review of the implementation of the resolutions of the United Nations Environment Assembly in Asia and the Pacific
09:30
10:30

Review of the implementation of the resolutions of the United Nations Environment Assembly in Asia and the Pacific

  • Introduction by the Secretariat (10 min)
  • Country Statements

The agenda item will provide an opportunity for Member States to report on progress on implementation of resolutions adopted by the United Nations Environment Assembly and provide guidance on priorities to be addressed in the region. Lead countries sporsored resolutions at preceding United Nations Environment Assembly are India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Mongolia, Samoa, and Sri Lanka.
Summary presentation from the Regional consultation of the Asia-Pacific Group in preparation for the third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-3)

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09:00
 
Agenda item 3: Regional input to the 6th United Nations Environment Assembly outcome (UNEA-6)
10:30
12:00

A). 6th United Nations Environment Assembly theme: ‘Effective, inclusive, and sustainable multilateral actions to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.’

  • Introduction by the Secretariat (10 min)
  • Country Statements
  • Stakeholders Statements (Intergovernmental, International, UN Organizations, Major Groups and Stakeholders)

The senior officials and other stakeholders may wish to review the report and provide regional inputs, including priorities, environmental success stories and important initiatives, on the theme ‘Effective, inclusive, and sustainable multilateral actions to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution’.
Statements from the Asia Pacific Science-Policy-Business Forum on the Environment, and the Asia Pacific Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum, linked to the Forum theme, held prior to the high-level segment will be delivered in this agenda item.

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12:00
14:00
Lunch Break (Parallel Side Events)
  • Side Event 4: UNEP, your partner of choice (Host: UNEP)
  • Side Event 5: Pacific Climate Change and Ocean Management Initiatives (Host: SPREP)
14:00
16:00

B). Outcome for the 6th United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6)
Draft resolutions for the 6th United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6)

  • Introduction by UNEP’s Committee of Permanent Representative Bureau Member
  • Country Statements

Member States may consider sharing relevant concept(s) to be submitted to the Secretariat of the Governing Bodies of the United Nations Environment Programme. The senior officials may wish to briefly present the potential concept or draft resolutions at the Forum. Guidance to Member States on the submission of draft resolutions and decisions to the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly

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C). Draft Ministerial Declaration for the 6th United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6)

  • Introduction by the Representative of the UNEA-6 President
  • Country statements
  • Stakeholders Statements (Intergovernmental, International, UN Organizations, Major Groups and Stakeholders)

A process of consultation on a draft political declaration, addressing the theme of the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly ‘Effective, inclusive, and sustainable multilateral actions to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution’, was initiated by the President of the Assembly. The main objective is to develop, in a transparent and inclusive manner, a joint vision and achievable actions to address the theme.
The senior officials and other stakeholders are invited to provide regional inputs to the draft declaration that will be adopted at the 6th United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6).

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09:00
 
Agenda item 4: Endorsement of the report of the Senior Officials Meeting of the Fifth Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific
16:00
17:30
  • Introduction by the Secretariat
  • Endorsement of the report of the Senior Officials Meeting of the Fifth Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific
18:30
21:00
Side event and welcome reception by UNEP
  • Side Event 6: One Health and its environmental dimension in the Asia Pacific region (Host: FAO, UNEP, WHO, WOAH)
05 October 2023
09:00
 
Ministerial Segment of the Fifth Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific 5 October 2023, Thursday
07:30
08:30

Registration

09:00
 
Agenda item 5: Opening of the Ministerial Segment of the Fifth Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific
08:30
10:00

Opening Performance (30 min)

  • Cultural Programme

Welcome address.

  • H.E. Mr. Naseer Ahamed, Minister of Environment, Sri Lanka (7 min).
  • H.E. Ms. Leila Benali, President of 6th United Nations Environment Assembly and Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development of Morocco (Video Message, 7 min).
  • Ms. Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme (7 min).

Keynote address

  • Prime Minister, Fiji (Video Message)
  • Vice President, Islamic Republic of Iran (7 min)
  • Representative of Major Group for Children and Youth (4 min)
  • H.E. Ranil Wickremesinghe, President of Sri Lanka (10 min)
10:00
10:30
Photo Session (Choreograph) & Break
10:30
10:45
  • H.E. Mr. Lim Sang-jun, Vice Minister of Environment, Republic of Korea, and Chair Representative of the Fourth Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific (7 min) (Chair).
  • Election of officers and Adoption of the agenda.
09:00
 
Agenda item 6: Ministerial Dialogue on Sustainable Multilateral Actions to Tackle Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss and Pollution in Asia and the Pacific
10:45
12:00

The three planetary environmental crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution are interrelated and often transboundary in nature and highlights the urgent need for collective global and regional actions to mitigate climate change, halt biodiversity loss, and reduce environmental pollution to ensure the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.
Regional multilateral actions are the bridge between global aspirational targets, such as the SDGs, Paris Agreement and Kunming-Montreal Framework, and operational targets in the national policies and strategies. In this context, science-based decision making for regional multilateral actions should be focused on knowledge sharing, capacity building and science harnessed national policies and regional multilateral cooperative programmes and actions.
Further strengthening the linkages between global and regional environmental governance mechanisms including through, for example, relevant UN Environment Assembly Resolutions and Multilateral Environmental Agreement (MEA) priorities being considered more systematically by regional intergovernmental and thematic forums and processes.
The ministers, Heads of the Delegation, and other high-level representatives will have an opportunity to share perspectives on well-coordinated global and regional mechanisms and effective actions to achieve various MEA targets including SDG targets, related to climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution in Asia and the Pacific. Ministers and other high-level representatives are also invited to share successes, best practices, and suggest concrete actions towards achieving sustainable multilateral actions at national, subregional, and regional levels.

  • Introduction by the Secretariat
  • Country statements
12:00
14:00
Lunch break (Parallel Side Events)
  • Event 7: Together for clean air: Strengthening multilateral action to address air pollution in Asia Pacific (Host: Republic of Korea)
  • Side Event 8: Accelerating the Implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (Host: UNEP, UNEP-WCMC and UNDP)
14:00
14:30

Continued Agenda item 6: Ministerial Dialogue on Sustainable Multilateral Actions to Tackle Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss and Pollution in Asia and the Pacific

  • Country statements
  • Stakeholders Statements (Intergovernmental, International, UN Organizations, Major Groups and Stakeholders)
09:00
 
Agenda item 7: Multistakeholder’s dialogue: Multilateral Environmental Cooperations to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution (challenges and opportunities)
14:30
16:00

Stockholm+50 has emphasized the global interconnectedness of the environment and the need to collectively address the three planetary environmental crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution – for present and future generations. The Stockholm+50 called for greater accountability to deliver on national and international responsibilities and address the three planetary environmental crises in integrated ways. Reinforce and reinvigorate the multilateral system, through ensuring an effective rules-based multilateral system that supports countries in delivering on their national and global commitments, to ensure fair and effective multilateralism, strengthening the environmental rule of law, including by promoting convergence and synergies within the United Nations system and between multilateral environmental agreements. Cooperations by all actors is essential to accelerate the transfer of knowledge, technology, and know-how, and to scale up the availability and access to and affordability of digital goods and services and critical infrastructure in developing countries
The overall goal of strengthening the engagement of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) in UNEA-6 is to promote coherence between the resolutions of the Assembly and the decisions of the governing bodies of the MEAs. Besides, multilateral cooperation is to support the Environment Assembly in enhancing its relationship with the MEAs and its contribution to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, by strengthening convergence of action and dialogue on common strategies and sharing of experiences, while providing increased visibility to the decisions of the governing bodies of the MEAs.
Ministers, Heads of the Delegation, MEA Secretariats, other stakeholders, and representatives will have an opportunity to share their Asia Pacific regional perspectives on effectiveness of the multilateral environmental cooperations, including finance, technology, and capacity building, at national, subregional, and regional levels, to achieve internationally agreed goals including SDGs on climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution

  • Chair (Bureau Member)
  • Introduction by the Secretariat (UNEP DED)
  • Panelist
    • Speaker A
    • Speaker B
    • Speaker C
    • Speaker D

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09:00
 
Agenda item 8: Presentation of Senior Officials Meeting report and draft outcomes of the Fifth Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific
16:00
17:30

Under this item, the Ministers and Heads of Delegation may wish to take note of the key elements of the report of the Senior Officials Meeting and draft outcome of the Fifth Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific.

09:00
 
Agenda item 9: Adoption of the outcome of the Fifth Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific
17:30
17:45

Adoption of the outcome of the Fifth Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific
The Ministers and Heads of Delegation will consider the draft report of the Senior Officials Meeting and the draft ministerial outcome for adoption. The outcome will reflect policy perspectives and commitments in Asia Pacific to address the theme of the six sessions of the United Nations Environment Assembly ‘‘Effective, inclusive, and sustainable multilateral actions to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution’.

09:00
 
Agenda item 10: Closing Session
17:45
18:00

Closing remarks

  • UNEP representative
  • Chair of the Fifth Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific
18:15
19:30
Side Event
  • Side Event 9: Climate Justice Forum (Host: Sri Lanka)
19:30
21:30

Gala Dinner hosted by Government of Sri Lanka

 

Agenda

Background Documents

Draft Resolution

Outcome

Presentations

Reference Documents

 

 

Pre-Forum Event

Asia Pacific Youth Environment Forum (APYEF)

Event's Details

Modality: Hybrid (in-person and online)

Date: 1st-2nd October 2023

Time: 10:00-17:00 GMT+5:30

Venue: United Nations Compound

 

Event's Documents/Files

Agenda: Agenda

Info Pack: More Info

Session Recording: Zoom Recording

Presentations: Presentations

Key Events

Asia Pacific Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum

Event's Details

Modality: Hybrid (in-person and online)

Date: 3rd October 2023

Time: 09:00-17:00 GMT+5:30

Venue: Lotus Ballroom A

 

Event's Documents/Files

Agenda: Agenda

Concept Note: Concept Note

Session Recording: Zoom Recording

Presentations: Presentations

UN Science-Policy-Business Forum for Asia and the Pacific Region

Event's Details

Modality: Hybrid (in-person and online)

Date: 3rd October 2023

Time: 09:00-17:00 GMT+5:30

Venue: Lotus Ballroom B

 

Event's Documents/Files

Agenda: Agenda

Concept Note: Concept Note

Session Recording: Zoom Recording

Presentations: Presentations

Side Events

Tackling the Triple Planetary Crisis Through Implementation of the UNGA Resolution on the Right to a Healthy Environment

Event's Details

Modality: Hybrid (in-person and online)

Date: 3rd October 2023

Time: 12:30-14:00 GMT+5:30

Venue: Lotus Ballroom A

 

Event's Documents/Files

Agenda: Agenda

Concept Note: Concept Note

Session Recording: Zoom Recording

Presentations: Presentations

Institutionalizing Regional Cooperation for Collaborative Actions and Building Resilience of Hindu Kush Himalaya

Event's Details

Modality: Hybrid (in-person and online)

Date: 3rd October 2023

Time: 12:30-14:00 GMT+5:30

Venue: Lotus Ballroom B

 

Event's Documents/Files

Agenda: Agenda

Concept Note: Concept Note

Session Recording: Zoom Recording

Presentations: Presentations

Grasping Nitrogen!
Accelerating action on nitrogen for environment, climate and economy

Event's Details

Modality: Hybrid (in-person and online)

Date: 3rd October 2023

Time: 18:30-20:00 GMT+5:30

Venue: Lotus Ballroom B

 

Event's Documents/Files

Agenda: Agenda

Concept Note: Concept Note

Session Recording: Zoom Recording

Presentations: Presentations

UNEP, Your Partner of Choice

Event's Details

Modality: Hybrid (in-person and online)

Date: 4th October 2023

Time: 12:30-14:00 GMT+5:30

Venue: Lotus Ballroom B

 

Event's Documents/Files

Agenda: Agenda

Concept Note: Concept Note

Session Recording: Zoom Recording

Presentations: Presentations

Pacific Climate Change and Ocean Management Initiatives

Event's Details

Modality: Hybrid (in-person and online)

Date: 4th October 2023

Time: 12:30-14:00 GMT+5:30

Venue: Lotus Ballroom A

 

Event's Documents/Files

Agenda: Agenda

Concept Note: Concept Note

Session Recording: Zoom Recording

Presentations: Presentations

One Health and its Environmental Dimension in the Asia Pacific Region

Event's Details

Modality: Hybrid (in-person and online)

Date: 4th October 2023

Time: 18:30-20:30 GMT+5:30

Venue: Main Ball Room(Bilactaral Room)

 

Event's Documents/Files

Agenda: Agenda

Concept Note: Concept Note

Session Recording: Zoom Recording

Presentations: Presentations & Videos

Photos: Photos

Together for Clean Air: Strengthening Multilateral Action to Address Air Pollution in Asia Pacific

Event's Details

Modality: Hybrid (in-person and online)

Date: 5th October 2023

Time: 12:30-14:00 GMT+5:30

Venue: Lotus Ballroom A

 

Event's Documents/Files

Agenda: Agenda

Concept Note: Concept Note

Report: Final Report

Presentations: Presentations

Session Recording: Zoom Recording

Accelerating the Implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

Event's Details

Modality: Hybrid (in-person and online)

Date: 5th October 2023

Time: 12:30-14:00 GMT+5:30

Venue: Lotus Ballroom B

 

Event's Documents/Files

Agenda: Agenda

Concept Note: Concept Note

Session Recording: Zoom Recording

Presentations: Videos and Presentations

Climate Justice Forum

Event's Details

Modality: Hybrid (in-person and online)

Date: 5th October 2023

Time: 18:15-19:30 GMT+5:30

Venue: Lotus Ballroom B

 

Event's Documents/Files

Agenda: Agenda

Concept Note: Concept Note

Session Recording: Zoom Recording

Presentations: Presentations

 

MEMBER STATES

Written Statement

OTHER STAKEHOLDERS