Governments Set Stage for Action on Environmental Aspects of Humanitarian Crises and Risks to Human Health

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Nairobi, 19 February 2016 - Governments and other key actors today set the stage for key decisions on the implementation of the environmental dimension of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including addressing the environmental aspects of global humanitarian crises and human health risks.

On the final day of a week-long Open Ended Meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), environment ministers, high-level government delegates and representatives of major groups set an ambitious agenda for the second United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-2), which will be held at UNEP's Nairobi headquarters from May 23 to 27.

UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said: "At the United Nations Environment Assembly, every nation has a seat at the table. Since its first meeting in 2014, UNEA has become the world's de facto Parliament for the Environment.”

UNEA-2 embodies the new understanding of the environment as a global issue central to a better, more-just future for all. The unprecedented level of engagement at this week's gathering shows just how seriously the world is taking the issue. Over 400 people attended the meeting, including 14 ministers and over 120 Member State delegations, plus 29 representatives from international organizations and 41 from Major Groups and Stakeholders.

Two of the key focal issues under discussion - humanitarian crises and human health - highlight just how important a healthy, well-managed environment is to wellbeing and security of people and planet.

At the meeting, Member States demonstrated they are ready to deliver on the promises of the 2030 Agenda by agreeing firm and collective action on environmental challenges, such as the above, at UNEA 2.

Mr. Steiner also announced that UNEA-2 will be enriched by 26 side events, 8 exhibitions, 2 symposia (on financing sustainable development and the environmental dimension of humanitarian crises) and 1 business dialogue, ensuring that the global community will come together to find collective solutions to challenges affecting the whole planet.

One particularly significant event will be the Sustainable Innovation Expo (SIE2016), which will include business leaders who will be called on to identify and apply resource-efficient and cleaner solutions and technologies, and to engage with governments in identifying the enabling conditions to scale them up.

For more information, please visit http://web.unep.org/unea/ or http://bit.ly/1QO3Cwe

Contact: Shereen Zorba, Head of News and Media, UNEP, +254 788 526 000, unepnewsdesk@unep.org