The UN Environment Assembly is the world’s highest-level decision-making body on the environment. It addresses the critical environmental challenges facing the world today. Understanding these challenges and preserving and rehabilitating our environment is at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Environment Assembly meets biennially to set priorities for global environmental policies and develop international environmental law. Through its resolutions and calls to action, the Assembly provides leadership and catalyses intergovernmental action on the environment. Decision-making requires broad participation, which is why the Assembly provides an opportunity for all peoples to help design solutions for our planet’s health based on sound science.

History of the UN Environment Assembly

The United Nations Environment Assembly was created in June 2012, when world leaders called for UN Environment to be strengthened and upgraded during the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, also referred to as RIO+20.

The Environment Assembly embodies a new era in which the environment is at the centre of the international community’s focus and is given the same level of prominence as issues such as peace, poverty, health and security. The establishment of the Environment Assembly was the culmination of decades of international efforts, initiated at the UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm in 1972 and aimed at creating a coherent system of international environmental governance.

Read more on the Assembly sessions

Governance of the United Nations Environment Assembly

The Environment Assembly sets the global environmental agenda in cooperation with UN institutions and Multilateral Environmental Agreements.

The meetings of the Assembly are governed by its Rules of Procedure.

UNEA Bureau

The Assembly is led by a Bureau composed of ten members comprising a President, eight Vice-Presidents and a Rapporteur at a Ministerial-level representing each of the five United Nations regions. The eight Vice- Presidents and Rapporteur assist the President in the general conduct of business of the United Nations Environment Assembly.

The Bureau is elected for a period of two years, starting at the closure of the session at which the Bureau was elected and until the closure of the next regular session. A pattern for the rotation of the Bureau of the Assembly is available here. The role and responsibility of the Bureau is further defined in the outcome of the stocktaking meeting for the process for review by the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Assembly and its subsidiary bodies, as agreed at the 8th meeting of the annual subcommittee of the Committee of Permanent Representatives.

 

Roles and Functions of UNEA President

The UNEA President is the guardian of the rules of procedure, and functions as the moral authority of the assembly. UNEA mandates the President to convene all formal plenary meetings, Committee of the Whole, including working groups on resolutions clusters.

 

The participants of the UN Environment Assembly

Committee of Permanent Representatives

The Committee of Permanent Representatives is the inter-sessional intergovernmental body of the Assembly. The Committee, in accordance with Governing Council decision 19/32, consists of the representatives of all States Members of the United Nations and members of its specialized agencies, and the European Union, accredited to the CPR, whether based in Nairobi or outside. Information on accreditation to the Committee is found here. The Committee of Permanent Representatives was formally established as a subsidiary organ of the Governing Council (now the UN Environment Assembly) in May 1985. The Committee meets on a quarterly basis led by a five-member Bureau elected for a period of two years.

Throughout the year, Member States engage in formal preparatory discussions under the framework of the Open-ended meetings of the Committee of Permanent Representatives. The Committee contributes to the preparation of the agenda of the UN Environment Assembly, provides advice to the Assembly on policy matters, prepares decisions for adoption by the UN Environment Assembly and oversees their implementation. The outcomes of the most important preparatory meetings of the Committee of Permanent Representatives are available in the documents section.

To reach decisions on matters pertaining to the Assembly, joint sessions are convened with the Bureau of the UN Environment Assembly and the Committee of Permanent Representatives. The Joint Bureaux meetings enhance cooperation and transparency on the development and functioning of the Assembly. It is also during these preparatory meetings that the agenda and the structure of the Assembly are defined and adopted.

Summaries of the meetings of the Bureaux (United Nations Environment Assembly Bureau, Committee of Permanent Representatives and Joint Bureaux meetings) can be found here. 

 

Intergovernmental organizations and multilateral environmental agreements

The General Assembly, in section IV, paragraph 5 of its resolution 2997 (XXVII) of 15 December 1972, invited … intergovernmental … organizations that have an interest in the field of the environment to lend their full support and collaboration to the United Nations with a view to achieving the largest possible degree of cooperation and coordination”.

Rule 69 of the rules of procedure of the United Nations Environment Assembly provides that “… the intergovernmental organizations referred to in section IV, paragraph 5, of General Assembly resolution 2997 (XXVII) which are designated for this purpose by the United Nations Environment Assembly, may participate, without the right to vote, in the deliberations of the United Nations Environment Assembly and its subsidiary organs, if any, upon the invitation of the President of Chairperson, as the case may be, on questions within the scope of their activities.

You can learn more about UNEP accreditation for IGOs and MEAs here.

 

Major Groups and Stakeholders

Recognizing Major Groups and Stakeholders General Council decision SS.VII/5 of 2002, states that “civil society encompasses nine major groups: farmers, women, scientific and technological community, children and youth, indigenous people and their communities, workers and trade unions, business and industry, non-governmental organizations.” The General Assembly resolution 2997 (XXVII) section IV, paragraph 5 invites intergovernmental and non governmental organizations that have an interest in the field of the environment to lend their full support and collaboration to achieve the largest possible degree of cooperation and coordination on environmental matters, especially in policymaking and implementation.

Rule #70 of Rules of Procedure of the United Nations Environment Assembly of the United Nations Environment Programme defines major groups' role in the Assembly and subsidiary organs. Although participation of the civil society does not come with voting rights on the decisions of the Assembly nor its subsidiary organs, they may present written and oral interventions.

UNEP accreditation for Major Groups and Stakeholders enables them to participate in the sessions of UNEA as well as its subsidiary organs. 

 

Events organised prior to UNEA

Open-Ended Committee of Permanent Representatives (OECPR)

The Governing Council decision 27/2 (February 2013) in paragraph #9 designated the OECPR as the subsidiary inter-sessional body of UNEA. GC decision 27/2 paragraph #10 mandated UNEA and its subsidiary organs as follows: “Decides to convene an open-ended meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives, while ensuring support to developing countries’ representatives, to enable the participation of capital-based delegates as well as stakeholders for a period of five days in an even year to contribute to preparation of the agenda of its governing body, and to provide advice to its governing body on policy matters.” Preceding the Assembly, the Open-Ended Committee of Permanent Representatives (OECPR) for UNEA-1 (2014) and for UNEA-2 (2016) held their meetings separately in advance of the Assembly. However, since UNEA-3, OCPR meetings have been held on a back-to-back arrangement with the UNEA sessions to minimize on costs and travel logistics. OECPRs that have been held include: 1st OECPR: 24- 28 March, 2014; 2nd OECPR: 15-19 February, 2016; 3rd OECPR: 29 Nov -1 Dec, 2017; 4th OECPR: 4-8 March, 2019; 5th OECPR: 15-19 February, 2021; and 6th OECPR: 22-25 February 2022. The OECPR serves as a PreCom to prepare UNEA agenda and pre-negotiate/deliberate the content and wording of proposed resolutions, declarations and decisions for endorsement and approval of the Assembly. During this period, and in parallel, is the activity of the Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum (GMGSF) who make their inputs in written or oral formats. During the OECPR, UNEA President may form an informal group (Friends of the President) with one or two representatives from each region for consultations to work on specific documents. President and this team may hold their first informal meeting afternoon of the Opening Plenary of the OECPR - and schedule one or two additional meetings to conclude. Ideally, they would discuss: Outcome Document; President's Summary; Ministerial Declaration

 

Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum (GMGSF)

Prior to every UNEA, an online or hybrid Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum (GMGSF) is self-organised by MGS under the guidance of the MGFC and with the assistance of the CSU. The GMGSF is aimed at preparing accredited members towards UNEA, allowing them to discuss the main themes of the UNEA and coordinate their inputs and statements. Furthermore, it helps to share information to build the capacity of MGS. The GMGSF organisers may also invite Member States representatives may participate as observers and engage in the dialogue with Major Groups. This forum is also open to non accredited organisations. A highlight of the event is the open dialogue session with the UNEP Executive Director to interact on any topic they wish to raise.

 

UNEA Sessions

UNEA sessions since 2014 have been organized as five-day events, including the high-level segment that continues to attract heads of state and governments. The first three days of the 5-day UNEA are dominated by plenaries, national and regional statements, and the work of The Committee of the Whole. The last two days are dedicated to the High-Level Segment where heads of state and government participate.

Meetings of the Committee of the Whole

Meetings of Committee of the Whole are either formal or informal – and may take different formats: ‘interactive debate’, ‘panel discussion’, ‘thematic debate’, ‘roundtable’ or ‘dialogue’. Working groups formed by UNEA follow this consultations format guided by prevailing rules of procedure. They play similar roles, but differentiated specific work streams. Informal meetings may be convened by the Chairs of these working groups, including constitution of sub-committees on specific issues. The working group chairs have the discretion of inviting the president of the assembly or any other resource person to address their informal sessions.

Side Events

Side Events are unofficial events taking place at UNON organised and convened by Member States or UN entities, including Civil Society. Civil Society can hold side events at UNEA only in collaboration with a Member State or a UN entity. Side events can be in parallel – preferably 60-90 minutes. A maximum number of parallel side-events over the five-days UNEA is determined by a designated committee which allocates time, venue and duration. Experience has shown that side events are well attended during lunch hour. Attendance at evening side events is sub-optimal.

Associated Events

Associated Events are unofficial events taking place outside the UNON Gigiri Complex organised and convened by other UNEP stakeholder entities, including Civil Society. These associated events do not necessarily have to be held in collaboration with any Member State nor a UN entity. Associated events can be held in parallel – some can last an entire day or two. 

Green Room

The Green Room is an events space which is reserved for the sole use of MGS during the OECPR and UNEA weeks. It is used for briefing sessions, informative event, bi-laterals, MGS meetings, planning sessions, press events or multistakeholder events including side events organized by MGS.