UN ENVIRONMENT ASSEMBLY, AS UNIVERSAL AS VALUES IT DEFENDS (MINISTER)

Nairobi – The United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), as a resonance platform, is as universal as the values it defends, said, on Tuesday in Nairobi, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development and chair of the 6th Assembly (UNEA-6), Leila Benali.

Through its Ministerial Declaration and Resolutions, UNEA provides leadership, catalyzes intergovernmental action on the environment and contributes to the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Benali stressed at the opening session of the Special Session of the UN Science-Policy-Business Forum on the Environment.

“As a decision-making body, UNEA represents a unique opportunity for countries to amplify science-, policy- and technology-based solutions for sustainable development,” she added, at this session held on the sidelines of UNEA-6, which runs from February 26 to March 1 at the headquarters of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Science has been established as a central pillar of UNEA, the Minister recalled, citing in this respect the contributions made by the Expert Group on the Science-Policy Interface to the rational management of chemicals and wastes and pollution prevention.

“But in strengthening collaboration between policy, science and business, we face challenges,” she warned, citing access to accurate, unbiased, science-based data among other challenges.

In addition, she noted that the post-Covid slowdown, persistent inflation, accelerating climate change, environmental degradation and escalating geopolitical shocks have strained the ability to achieve most of the Sustainable Development Goals.