TOWARDS A POLLUTION FREE PLANET: THE 2017 SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT ASSEMBLY
The United Nations Environment Assembly is not only the highest authority on the Environment within the United Nations. It is also an ideal platform for bringing together different stakeholders: Governments, Civil Society/Major Groups, Science and the Private Sector to enable them to work together to tackle the shared and unprecedented challenges the world is facing. Ministers of Environment of all countries around the world will gather to discuss the status, trends and actions needed to be taken to address pollution in all its forms: air, marine, freshwater, soil and land, including chemicals and waste. They will be joined by private sector representatives, civil society organizations and other stakeholders. Civil Society, represented by Major Groups and Stakeholders (MGS) have a critical role in supporting the decision making process at the 2017 Environment Assembly, by engaging with governments, sharing their expert knowledge and by ensuring that the voice of those who might be effected by decisions taken, is heard. Furthermore, Major Groups and Stakeholders are partners of UN Environment in implementing most of the decisions taken at the United Nations Environment Assembly.
Major Groups and Stakeholders are also invited to contribute to the preparatory process of the Assembly during regional consultative multi-stakeholder meetings, that will be held in all regions. . In addition, representatives of accredited organisations may participate in all public meetings of the Committee of Permanent Representatives, including through electronic links.
Please find the attached Draft Agenda for the 2017 Environment Assembly
The approved structure of 2017 Environment Assembly
Furthermore, Civil Society Organisations are invited to:
In order to make change happen, Member States, businesses, individuals, mayors, local governments, partnerships, civil society organizations are invited to make voluntary commitments of actions in support of a “Pollution Free Planet”. The commitments of actions consist of concrete targets or actions designed to avoid, reduce, mitigate, measure, monitor, report, and/or manage pollution. The commitments of action should be communicated to the UN Environment Secretariat in the months preceding or at the Assembly itself, through the UN Environment web platform from mid-June onwards. The commitments will be made public throughout the period; early announcements are encouraged with a view to keep up the momentum. A standard questionnaire to record the commitment will be made available on line through the the UN Environment Assembly web platform by mid-June.
- CONTRIBUTE TO A THEMATIC REPORT ON THE THEME OF POLLUTION:
A background document is being developed to guide discussions, to provide the latest scientific information on current pollution impacts on ecosystems and human health and well-being, as well as state and trends, and to identify key principles and transformative actions. The draft report will be made publicly available for comments for 3 weeks, at the end of June and beginning of July, on the UN Environment Assembly web platform www.unep.org/environmentassembly.
- COMMITTING TO ACT
In order to make change happen, Member States, businesses, individuals, mayors, local governments, partnerships, civil society organizations are invited to make voluntary commitments of actions in support of a “Pollution Free Planet”. The commitments of actions consist of concrete targets or actions designed to avoid, reduce, mitigate, measure, monitor, report, and/or manage pollution. The commitments of action should be communicated to the UN Environment Secretariat in the months preceding or at the Assembly itself, through the UN Environment web platform from mid-June onwards. The commitments will be made public throughout the period; early announcements are encouraged with a view to keep up the momentum. A standard questionnaire to record the commitment is available on line through the UN Environment Assembly web platform here: https://goo.gl/b2ciLh.
