Your excellency, Mr. Firas Khouri, Chair of the Committee of Permanent Representatives,
Ambassadors and colleagues.
Welcome to the Tenth Annual Subcommittee meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives. These subcommittee meetings are hugely important, as they allow UNEP, Member States and other stakeholders to dig deep on ways to adjust and strengthen our mutually reinforcing support.
On the side-lines of this year’s UN General Assembly, the world recognized that we are at the half-way mark towards the Sustainable Development Goals. And that we are not on track for their achievement. Yes, progress has been made in some areas, but we are not where we need to be on most of the goals. It was also very much highlighted that the environmental dimension of sustainable development will provide a critical underpinning to success on economic and broader social goals.
So, this year’s meeting takes on even greater importance as we prepare for the sixth UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-6). This assembly will be a moment to push for solutions to the environmental dimension of sustainable development. To push for solutions to the three environmental planetary crises: the crisis of climate change, the crisis of nature and biodiversity loss, including desertification, and the crisis of pollution and waste. We need more solutions to unleash faster. And unleash at a wider scale.
This is a task in which we must succeed because this has, without doubt, been a difficult year on many levels. From the perspective of our work on the environment, the intensification of climate change has been particularly concerning. Greenhouse gas emissions and the global average temperature have hit new highs, again, while extreme weather events are occurring more often, developing faster and becoming more intense.
The 2023 edition of the Emissions Gap Report, which we at UNEP are launching later today with the UN Secretary General, sends a clear message. We require a massive and urgent shift to bring down greenhouse gas emissions and halt the ever-more intense climate events that continue to hit communities. Often communities who have done the least to cause this crisis. This is a shift that nations must accelerate at COP28 in Dubai in just eleven days, and beyond. A shift that must focus urgently on bringing down our CO2 emissions load. And also place a strong focus on implementing adaptation, on finance and on getting the Loss and Damage Fund established.
In this context, we at UNEP are proud to have seconded a significant number of our staff to support the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Transitional Committee on the Loss and Damage Fund. We will again be seconding staff to the UNFCCC in support of the COP.
Excellencies and colleagues,
We at UNEP have, of course, been working hard throughout last year to support Member States to slow climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. At this meeting, you will receive updates on the achievements of UNEP’s programme implementation from my senior colleagues. Today, I would like to mention some of the global milestones that UNEP has been deeply involved in since we met at last year’s Subcommittee.
The Global Framework on Chemicals was adopted in Bonn in September of this year. We are massively proud of this achievement. With 28 targets, the Framework will significantly improve the sound management of chemicals and waste. Just weeks thereafter, nations delivered the largest-ever replenishment of the Montreal Protocol’s Multilateral Fund. At almost one billion dollars, these funds will support action on ozone-depleting and climate-warming substances. On the side-lines of the General Assembly, we at UNEP were pleased to support the release of the recommendations framed by the Taskforce on Nature related Financial Disclosures. These recommendations will guide businesses and financial institutions to report and act on nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks and opportunities. And, of course, late yesterday, in the chamber just across the courtyard, the gavel went down on INC-3, providing a clear path for INC4 with the goal of negotiation in Ottawa of the new compilation text.
These results clearly show that environmental multilateralism is still working, even in times of global turmoil and deep geopolitical divisions. We at UNEP – and you, the Member States – can be proud of this focus on resolving long-term environmental problems that pose a grave threat to all of us.
As a global community, we must rise to the challenge and deliver – even as the multilateral system is facing unprecedented pressure. Climate change, threats to species and ecosystems and the pollution of air, soil and water will not wait for geopolitical times to improve. We can start here and now, at this very meeting. In fact, UNEP and the Committee of Permanent Representatives are already evolving into an even-more relevant and effective forum through the strengthening of Nairobi as a global hub that drives action across the three environmental planetary crises.
I hope that it has been noticed that more meetings and sessions are being held here in UNEP’s global headquarters, the environmental capital of the world. This year, the UNEP compound has been the location of the 50th session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The 25th meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice. The 35th Meeting of the Parties of the Montreal Protocol. And INC-3 on plastic pollution.
So, there is no doubt that the global reach and impact of UNEP is growing. And we at UNEP are reflecting our reach in many other ways. UNEP has improved its support to UN country teams – and you will hear more about how we are striving to improve country delivery later in the week. We have also made strides in rebalancing the geographical representation of staff to reflect the global nature of our work.
As I have said previously, the realignment is slow, as we need to work vacancy by vacancy. But the 2022-2023 data shows a decrease in the overall number of Western European and Others Group (WEOG) P+ staff, while the number of P+ staff from all other regions has increased. As of the 1st of November, 76 per cent of external candidates selected, but pending for onboarding, were non-WEOG. Slowly but surely, UNEP is becoming more known in other regions. Slowly but surely, UNEP is attracting non-WEOG candidates from under-represented regions to apply for jobs at headquarters. I am pleased that we are making real and tangible progress.
Excellencies,
UNEA-6 is, of course, the next opportunity to strengthen our collective impact and continue to set an example of how multilateralism can and should work. At UNEA-6, we will be seeking effective, inclusive and sustainable multilateral actions across the three crises – which will be based on the resolutions that you put forward.
At this week’s Subcommittee, you will be invited to announce or present concepts for draft resolutions or decisions to facilitate early consultations and effective preparation for UNEA-6. I look forward to hearing your intentions. They will no doubt form the basis for a strong political outcome.
And, as you know, a successful UNEA-6 will depend on funding. So, I repeat my call to all governments able to do so to consider a financial contribution to close the funding gap for UNEA-6. This gap is closing, thanks to a few early contributors, but still stands at more than US$1 million. My thanks the European Commission, Switzerland, Hungary and Morocco for their generous contributions so far. I hope that many more will follow suit.
This brings us to the broader issue of widening UNEP’s funding base, which is another key agenda item for this week. At last year’s Subcommittee meeting, you presented recommendations on this subject, based on a first-ever debate on the matter in this Committee. After this week’s discussion, you will provide further guidance on action to increase the financial ownership and responsibility of our organization. Further action is essential to enable UNEP to deliver what you have asked of us – particularly stronger engagement with UN country teams.
We at UNEP are grateful for all funding received, but the truth is that UNEP continues to face challenges related to the quality of funding and a narrow funding base. Despite all our efforts, less than half of the 193 Member States have provided funding to UNEP in any given year since 2012. So, it is important that all countries pay their full share of the Indicative Scale of Contributions to the Environment Fund, as approved by all Member States.
Much of the funding coming in continues to be tightly earmarked. I strongly encourage Member States to shift away from earmarking resources towards more flexible funding – ideally to the Environment Fund. If this is not feasible, to one of the three thematic funds that we have created for Climate Action, Nature Action and Pollution Action.
Excellencies,
At this meeting, you will also explore the future of multilateralism. This is a big topic. As I said, the environmental space hosts one of the most effective forms of multilateralism today. Once the plastic instrument and the Science-Policy Panel for Chemicals, Waste and Pollution are agreed, we will again have demonstrated that environmental action can unite the world. With the existing MEAs, and with UNEA as the big tent under which these agreements meet and exchange lessons, we will have an interlocking global framework for success. This is how we – together – can focus fully on the effective implementation of what we have agreed. And, dare I say, this is no mean feat in today’s geopolitical climate. My thanks.
So, on Thursday morning, the Co-Chairs of the High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism, H.E. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, former President of Liberia, and H.E. Stefan Löfven, former Prime Minister of Sweden, will present the recommendations from their report, A Breakthrough for People and Planet: Effective and Inclusive Global Governance for Today and the Future. I ask you to reflect upon the recommendations and provide your own perspectives.
Because multilateralism must evolve, particularly through a focus on delivering on commitments. And multilateralism must become more forward-looking and modern. Building on the Secretary-General’s report “Our Common Agenda”, and in the preparations for the Summit of the Future, Member States have an opportunity to look to the future and strengthen and modernize their United Nations. Here at UNEP, we are also looking to the future through a Strategic Foresight process, which has recently concluded major events in Montreal, Nairobi and Warsaw, with an event ongoing in Kuwait as I speak, and two events planned for Bangkok and Bogota in early December. And through accelerating our digital transformation. All of which you will hear more about during this meeting.
So, Excellencies, there is a lot to discuss and digest over the next four days. I do realize that there is much work ahead of you over the next few months as you prepare resolutions and positions for UNEA-6. And indeed, much work in the years ahead as we pursue our common quest towards making progress on ending the environmental crises – crises that undermine our very real chance at ending poverty and attaining the Sustainable Development Goals. So, I ask for your continued support and determination, as we continue to work for the betterment of people and the planet.
