United Nations Environment Assembly: UPSC Current Affairs

Description

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Picture Courtesy: DOWNTOEARTH

Context

The seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) concluded in Nairobi, Kenya.

What is United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA)?

It is the world's highest-level decision-making body on the environment, often described as the "world's parliament on the environment".

It has a universal membership, comprising all 193 UN Member States.

Key Functions and Roles

Sets the Global Environmental Agenda: Assembly meets biennially to define priorities for global environmental policies and develop international environmental law.

Governing Body of UNEP: Serves as the governing body for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which hosts the assembly's headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.

Catalyzes Action: Through its resolutions and decisions, UNEA provides leadership and catalyzes intergovernmental action to address pressing environmental issues, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

Fosters Agreements: Resolutions passed by UNEA are not always legally binding, but they often lay the groundwork for major international environmental agreements.

Structure and Participation

UNEA was established in 2012 as a result of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). Its sessions bring together a wide range of participants beyond national governments, including:

Ministers of environment.
Civil society groups and major stakeholders.
The scientific community.
Private sector representatives.

The seventh session (UNEA-7) was held from December 8 to 12, 2025, in Nairobi, Kenya, under the theme "Advancing sustainable solutions for a resilient planet".

Outcomes of the seventh session (UNEA-7)

Member States adopted 11 resolutions and three decisions, along with a Ministerial Declaration, designed to drive action against climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

Key resolutions focused on:

Wildfire Management: A resolution proposed by India was supported to boost international cooperation on wildfire prevention, early warning, and ecosystem restoration.
Protecting Vulnerable Ecosystems: Resolutions were passed to ensure the preservation of glaciers, the wider cryosphere, and the climate resilience of coral reefs.
Resource Management: Decisions were made to ensure the responsible governance of minerals, metals, chemicals, and effective waste management.
Emerging Issues: Resolutions addressed the environmental impact and sustainable application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the management of massive sargassum seaweed blooms.
Organizational Mandate: The assembly approved the new Medium-Term Strategy for the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) for 2026-2029, alongside its Programme of Work and Budget for 2026-2027, setting the organization's future direction.
Proposed to Consolidate MEA Secretariats: Mandate that all future Multilateral Environmental Agreement (MEA) secretariats be established at the UNEP headquarters in Nairobi.

Multilateral Environmental Agreement (MEA)	Secretariat Location
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)	Bonn, Germany
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)	Montreal, Canada
UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)	Bonn, Germany
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)	Geneva, Switzerland
Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions	Geneva, Switzerland
Minamata Convention on Mercury	Geneva, Switzerland
Convention on Migratory Species (CMS)	Bonn, Germany
Vienna Convention and Montreal Protocol	Nairobi, Kenya (at UNEP HQ)

The Debate: Arguments for and Against Centralization

The proposal to centralize MEA secretariats in Nairobi highlights a divide between developing and developed nations on the future of global environmental governance.

Arguments in Favour

Cost and Carbon Savings: A single location would cut travel costs and related carbon emissions for thousands of delegates annually.
Overcoming Fragmentation: Current system, with secretariats scattered across cities like Geneva, Bonn, and Montreal, creates policy silos and logistical inefficiencies.
Equitable Governance: Strengthening the Nairobi hub promotes a more inclusive and democratic system of environmental governance, moving away from a Euro-centric model.
Unified African Voice: Aligns with calls for a stronger, common negotiating position, as emphasized in the Nairobi Declaration of the Africa Climate Summit (2023).

Implied Resistance

Retaining Influence: Developed countries hosting existing secretariats (e.g., Switzerland, Germany) are reluctant to relinquish the influence and prestige associated with them.
Institutional Inertia: Logistical and political challenges of relocating established institutions create strong resistance to change.
Funding Dynamics: Donor countries prefer the existing fragmented system, which provide them with greater control over specific MEAs they prioritize and fund.
Concerns over Centralization: Risks of concentrating all power and institutional knowledge in a single location.

A draft resolution aimed to centralize future MEA secretariats under UNEP in Nairobi was dropped from the agenda.

Source: DOWNTOEARTH

Attempt Daily Quiz

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. Match the following Reports with their publishing organization:

List I (Report) List II (Organisation)

a. Global Hunger Index (GHI) 1. World Economic Forum (WEF)

b. Global Innovation Index (GII) 2. World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

c. Global Risk Report 3. Concern Worldwide and Welt Hunger Hilfe

d. Frontiers Report 2025 4. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

A) a-3, b-2, c-1, d-4

B) a-2, b-3, c-4, d-1

C) a-4, b-1, c-3, d-2

D) a-3, b-4, c-1, d-2

Answer: A

Explanation:

a. Global Hunger Index (GHI): The Global Hunger Index is published jointly by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe.

b. Global Innovation Index (GII): The Global Innovation Index is published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), in partnership with other organizations like Cornell University and INSEAD.

c. Global Risk Report: The Global Risks Report is an annual publication by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

d. Frontiers Report 2025: The Frontiers Report series, including the 2025 edition, is published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The UNEA is the world's highest-level decision-making body on environmental matters, with universal membership for all 193 UN member states, setting the global environmental agenda.

The primary purpose was to strengthen the role of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) headquarters in Nairobi. It proposed centralizing the secretariats of all future Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) in Nairobi to improve coordination, create synergies, and enhance global environmental governance.

The 'triple planetary crisis' refers to the three major, interconnected environmental threats facing the world: climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution (including chemical and plastic waste). UNEA's work is focused on addressing this crisis holistically.