UN Environment Assembly 5 (UNEA 5.2) Resolutions

The resumed 5th United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA 5.2) took place in Nairobi, Kenya,  from 28 February to 2 March 2022, concluding with 14 adopted resolutions geared towards halting the progression of the triple planetary crisis. The resolutions aim to strengthen actions for nature and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

A comprehensive list of all the outcomes of UNEA.5 (Resolutions, Decisions and Ministerial Declaration) is available on the UNEA-5 website.

Resolution 1: Animal Welfare, Environment, and Sustainable Development Nexus

Resolution 1 requests, in due time, a report, gathering partners and stakeholders to work together in identifying the interlinkages between health and welfare of animals, sustainable development and the environment, to human health and well-being.

Resolution 2: Sustainable Nitrogen Management

Resolution 2 encourages UN Member States to accelerate their action in the significant reduction of nitrogen waste by 2030, with national action plans supported by UNEP.

Resolution 3: Future Global Environment Outlook

Resolution 3 supports the creation of an ad hoc intergovernmental and multi-stakeholder advisory group, and new guidelines for the process of a seventh edition of the Global Environment Outlook assessment, to be submitted for review by earliest 2025.

Resolution 4: Sustainable Lake Management

Resolution 4 requests all members to protect, conserve, restore and ensure the sustainable use of lakes as well as calling on UNEP to advance mainstreaming and collaboration facilitation to members.

Resolution 5: Nature-based Solutions for Supporting Sustainable Development

Resolution 5 defines the concept of nature-based solutions as actions to protect, conserve, restore, sustainably use and manage natural or modified terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems and calls for more collaboration and resources.

Resolution 6: Biodiversity and Health

Resolution 6 posits further assistance, coordination, mainstreaming and recourses of Member States and other agencies in the interlinkages between biodiversity and health, with lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic as a precursor.

Resolution 7: Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste

Resolution 7 brings forward the extension of the Special Programme, drawing on existing frameworks aiming to reduce the chemicals released in the air, water and soil in order to minimize adverse impacts on human and environmental health.

Resolution 8: Science-Policy Panel to contribute further to the sound management of chemicals and waste and to prevent pollution

Resolution 8 relays the creation of a science-policy panel undertaking a “horizon scanning” to identify issues of relevance to policymakers and, where possible, proposing evidence-based options to address them.

Resolution 9: Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure

Resolution 9 promotes investing in sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including transport, energy, water and sanitation for all, as a prerequisite for achieving many goals, and expresses a commitment by countries to facilitate development of sustainable, accessible and resilient quality infrastructure in developing countries through enhanced financial and technical support.

Resolution 10: Environmental dimension of a sustainable, resilient and inclusive post COVID-19 recovery

Resolution 10 encourages Member states to strengthen measures to achieve  a sustainable, resilient and inclusive global recovery, including, but not limited to, continuing to enhance actions to combat climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, and implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, taking into account national circumstances with special capacity building in developing countries.

Resolution 11: Enhancing Circular Economy as a contribution to achieving sustainable consumption and production

Resolution 11 promotes the integration of innovative approaches to achieve sustainable production and consumption, in which products and materials are designed in such a way that they can be reused, remanufactured, recycled or recovered and thus maintained in the economy for as long as possible, along with the resources of which they are made, and the generation of waste, especially hazardous waste, is avoided or minimized, and greenhouse gas emissions are prevented or reduced.

Resolution 12:  Environmental aspects of minerals and metals management

Resolution 12 encourages the strengthening of existing measures and the facilitation of exchanges among Member States for a more sustainable, resilient and inclusive recovery with regards to the management of minerals and metals.

Resolution 13: Due regard to the principle of equitable geographical distribution, in accordance with paragraph 3 of article 101 of the Charter of the United Nations

Resolution 13 aims to ensure UNEP’s reflection on its own practices while holding the UN body up to its own commitments regarding equity and fairness with regards to equitable geographic distribution of staff recruitment.

Resolution 14: End plastic pollution: Towards an international legally binding instrument 

Resolution 14 paves the path towards an international legally binding instrument on ending worldwide plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, which could include both binding and voluntary approaches, based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic. UNEP’s Executive Director, Inger Andersen, ranked the Agreement as the most significant environmental multilateral deal since the Paris Accord.