• Overview
  • Schedule
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When: 3 - 4 March 2022

Where: Nairobi, Kenya

The fifth United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) was followed by a special session, called UNEP@50, held on 3 - 4 March 2022 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The theme for the special session was "Strengthening UNEP for the implementation of the environmental dimension of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

UNEP@50 has been a time to reflect on the past and envision the future. It provided an opportunity to reinvigorate international cooperation and spur collective action to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. No country or continent can solve these global crises alone. But each nation has a crucial role in protecting our people and planet.

Political declaration adopted on 3 March 2022 at the UNEA special session on UNEP@50

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List of participants in the first special session of the United Nations Environment Assembly to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme

Proceedings of UNEA at its first special session: commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of UNEP

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Please find relevant documents for this commemoration event in the tabs above.

The resumed Fifth Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2) took place online and in Nairobi, Kenya, on 28 February – 2 March 2022. Immediately after UNEA-5.2, a Special Session of the Assembly was held on 3-4 March 2022, devoted to the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the creation of UN Environment Programme in 1972 (UNEP@50).

UNEA-5 side events focused on “Strengthening actions for nature to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals” and the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of UNEP.

View interactive calendar and live stream links here 

View special session to commemorate the establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP@50)

Agenda Item 1: Opening of the session

Agenda Item 2: Adoption of the agenda and organization of work

Annotated provisional agenda:  English | Arabic | Chinese | French | Russian | Spanish Uploaded on 14 February 2022

Organization of work Uploaded on 14 February 2022

Scenario Note for UNEA 5.2 and UNEP@50 Uploaded on 15 February 2022

Agenda Item 3: Credentials of representatives

Final notification by the Executive Director Uploaded on 14 February 2022

Agenda Item 4: Statements by representatives

Revised - Guidance note on the delivery of national and stakeholder statements for the special session to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the creation of UNEP Uploaded on 14 February 2022

Agenda Item 5: Presentation of the report of the Executive Director on the science-policy interface

Progress in the implementation of resolution 4/23 on enhancing the science-policy interface of the United Nations Environment Programme:  English | Arabic | Chinese | French | Spanish | Russian  Uploaded on 14 February 2022

Layout version of the report “Reflecting on the past and imagining the future: a contribution to the dialogue on the science-policy interface”:  English | ArabicChineseFrench | SpanishRussian  Uploaded on 15 February 2022

Agenda Item 6:  Presentation of the stakeholder report entitled “The UNEP We Want”

Joint Global Statement by Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Uploaded on 21 February 2022

Presentation of the stakeholder report entitled “The UNEP We Want” Uploaded on 23 February 2022

Agenda Item 7: Leadership dialogues

Special session to commemorate the establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP@50) - Concept Note for the High-Level Leadership Dialogues Uploaded on 14 February 2022

Guidance note on participation in the leadership dialogues Uploaded on 14 February 2022

Agenda Item 8: Multi-stakeholder dialogue

Special session to commemoration the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP@50) - Concept Note for the Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue Uploaded on 14 February 2022

Guidance note on participation in the multi-stakeholder dialogue Uploaded on 14 February 2022

Agenda Item 9: Adoption of the political outcome of the session

Implementation of General Assembly Resolution 73/333, entitled “Follow-up to the Report of the Ad Hoc Open-Ended Working Group Established Pursuant to General Assembly Resolution 72/277”

Agenda Item 10: Adoption of the report of the session and the Chair’s summary

Agenda Item 11: Closure of the session

To view the statements from Heads of State and Government, ministers, heads of delegations and stakeholders at the High-Level Special Session to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the UN Environment Programme, please click here