The UN Environment Assembly - the highest-level UN body ever convened on the environment - is less than a week from its historic opening day at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) headquarters in Nairobi.

 

UNEA feeds directly into the General Assembly and enjoys universal membership of all 193 UN member states as well as other stakeholder groups. With this wide reach into the legislative, financial and development arenas, the new body presents a ground-breaking platform for leadership on global environmental policy.

 

For many, the creation of UNEA is the coming of age of the environment as a world issue, as it places environmental concerns on the same footing with those of peace, security, finance, health and trade for the first time. Major issues on the UNEA agenda include the illegal trade in wildlife; environmental rule of law; financing the Green Economy; and the Sustainable Development Goals and the Post-2015 Development Agenda, including sustainable consumption and production.

 

In this new forum, UNEP and its partners will be able to provide governments and other policymakers with the science, tools, and innovation required to link environmental stewardship and sustainable development.

 

UNEA has the mandate to make strategic decisions and provide political guidance in the work of UNEP, and promote a strong science-policy interface. The first UNEA session is expected to deliver a series of outcomes that would spell out concrete actions to address the key environmental challenges discussed at UNEA. Where appropriate, UNEA may also recommend draft resolutions for adoption at the United Nations General Assembly for UN system-wide action.