Consultations in run up to the UN Environment Assembly of December 2017

In December 2017, high-level representatives from all United Nations Member States will gather in Nairobi together with leaders from the private sector and civil society under the theme “Towards a Pollution-Free Planet.” The 2017 Environment Assembly is expected to deliver a number of tangible commitments to end the pollution of our air, land, waterways, and oceans, and to safely manage our chemicals and waste. A process of consultations on a draft political declaration, addressing the theme, has been initiated by the President of the Assembly, Dr. Edgar Gutiérrez-Espeleta, Minister of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica. Read more here.

 

Once a year, UN Environment convenes Regional Consultative Meetings (RCM) to facilitate multi-stakeholder dialogues on issues pertinent to the UN Environment.  involve all Member States and stakeholders. This process of preparatory dialogues in the lead up to the 2017 UN Environment Assembly is to develop in a transparent and inclusive manner a joint vision and achievable actions to address pollution in its many forms at a global scale.  



The Consultative Meetings, which are often times organized back to back with Environmental Fora or Economic Commissions meetings or other relevant environmental consultations will provide an opportunity for Major Groups and Stakeholders to provide their inputs into the Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum (GMGSF) which will precede the UN Environment Assembly. The meetings also serve as a capacity-building and networking exercise for Major Groups and Stakeholders in the regions as they constitute a platform for Regional Offices to engage with civil society partners.

• Regional Consultation Meeting in Latin America and the Caribbean: Puntarenas, Costa Rica, 7-8 June 2017 Held around the theme of Oceans Agenda
• Regional Consultation Meeting in Africa: Libreville, Gabon, 10-11 June 2017 prior to the 16th Session of the African Ministerial Conference on Environment (AMCEN) Agenda
• The Regional Consultation in Asia-Pacific consisted of dedicated talks in the context of the Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism (APRCEM), a civil society platform,  26-28 March 2017, Bangkok Thailand, Report
• In North America there were several consultations. The regional consultation on pollution was convened in Toronto, Canada in advance of the UN Environment Assembly on October 26. The event was co-hosted by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, a former Executive Director of UN Environment. High level participants represented a diverse range of civil society, foundations, businesses, and government. The consultation engaged all to #BeatPollution. Furthermore, the consultation for Canada based Major Groups and Stakeholders was held in Ottawa, Canada 2 December 2016, and the one for U.S. based Major Groups and Stakeholder representatives and government officials in Washington, D.C. on 9 February, 2017 Report. 
• The informal European Regional Ministerial Consultation for 2017 Environment Assembly was held in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on 13 June and brought together participants from 25 countries, including representatives from the Ministry of Health, World Health Organisation, UN Economic Commission for Europe, the European Union, UN Habitat and civil society. This first ever Pan-European consultation on the UN Environment Assembly was held in the margins of the Sixth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health.  

For more information on the regional consultations see here.