Opening Ceremony of the Special Session of UNEP@50

main list click again on the title of the current chat channel at the top of the chat box at the bottom of your video component you'll find three different layout options to the left and a full screen button to the right to exit full screen click the button again or simply press your escape key that's it just as a reminder when using your speak button the gray bar means you need to raise your hand to be allowed to speak a blue bar means you're allowed to speak but muted and a red bar means you're live to join the conversation and be visible on the screen simply start speaking when the meeting ends click the log out button over here if you want to join another session enter your credentials again to join the new session that's it you're all set if you have any questions please contact your event organizer good morning dear speakers my name is martinez and i'm from interactive technical support i would like to invite those who are connected remotely to kindly check your devices as well as your connection for this please click on a raise young button you can find that at the bottom of your platform and by clicking raise hand you will indicate meeting moderators that you want to speak and once you're given permission by the moderators the speak button which is next to the raise hand button will turn in blue color and that means you can click on it to take the floor so with your speakers if you want to test please click on raise hand button and we shall proceed thank you in this video we're going to walk you through logging in setting up and navigating the participant console before you begin check your internet connection using a laptop or desktop computer to connect to ethernet or to a stable wi-fi do not use a tablet or smartphone these are often not powerful enough to operate smoothly during events next open your browser for the best experience use the latest google chrome web browser in incognito mode to join the meeting click on the meeting link provided by the meeting organizer or shared in the invitation email you can also copy the link and paste it directly into your browser search bar enter the requested details and press continue after logging in you may get a pop-up asking you to allow our platform to access your microphone and um one two three four five can you hear me vadotes please let me know if the sound is okay shows how other participants will see you on camera here you can select your camera microphone and speakers click the speaker icon to test your speakers when you do this you should hear a chime ring the microphone icon here also functions okay testing testing mojambili tattoo sita sapa to join the meeting here's what you'll see when the interface opens depending on how creators set up the meeting you may see fewer functions or buttons than you see here let's go through all the buttons and main functions you'll find two main buttons at the bottom of your interface raise hand and speak this means that if you have given your browser access to your camera and microphone when you activate this button and start speaking your camera will automatically turn on if your buttons show a gray bar at the top this means that you have not yet been given permission to speak by the moderator to join the conversation raise your hand by clicking raise hand this will notify the moderator that you want to access the conversation once the moderator grants you access your speak button will show a blue bar at the top the blue bar indicates that you are allowed to speak but are still muted to unmute yourself and join the conversation click the speak button the button will turn red indicating that you are currently live you won't appear on screen until you start speaking to mute yourself press the speak button again the button will turn blue indicating that you are muted now let's take a look at the buttons at the top of your interface the audio channel selector allows you to select between the language channels available to you usually the floor language refers to the meeting's main line and this option will be selected by default you can switch to another language by clicking on its name the settings button allows you to change your camera microphone and speaker settings the present button allows you to share your screen with other participants you can only use this function if you are allowed to speak therefore your speak button must show the blue or red bar select if you want to share the entire screen a specific application window or a specific browser tab then click share click the users button to open or hide the participant list here you'll see the list of participants and their present status light gray means they have a closed mic blue means they have an open mic but are muted and red means that they are live to send a direct message to a participant click their name in the user list and select chat this will open a dialog between you and the other participant click the chat button to communicate with the greeting moderator tech support and other participants in written form through the available chat channels when you open the chat for the first time the event participants chat will be open by default post your message here if you want all participants to see it if you want to notify an individual user through chat use the at symbol followed by the participant's name so they get notified about your message to send a message to a different chat channel click on the title of the current channel in this case it's event participants this will bring you back to the full list of available chat channels from this list click on the chat channel you want to send your message to go back to the main list click again on the title of the current chat channel at the top of the chat box at the bottom of your video component you'll find three different layout options to the left and a full screen button to the right to exit full screen click the button again or simply press your escape key that's it just as a reminder when using your speak button the gray bar means you need to raise your hand to be allowed to speak a blue bar means you're allowed to speak but muted and a red bar means you're live to join the conversation and be visible on the screen simply start speaking when the meeting ends click the log out button over here if you want to join another session enter your credentials again to join the new session that's it you're all set if you have any questions please contact your event organizer hello and welcome to this short introduction to our virtual meeting with remote simultaneous interpretation or rsi since this may be the first time for some of you using an rsi platform here are some tips to ensure the best experience possible for all participants and interpreters please try and meet as many of these guidelines as possible before you take the floor as it will drastically improve your connection sound and video if you are not able to do so for this meeting please bear them in mind for your next virtual meeting the first tip is to always use a laptop or desktop computer not a phone or tablet as these are usually not powerful enough and to plug your computer directly into your modem with an ethernet cable this will greatly improve your connection speed and stability and reduce the risk of your sound and video cutting out secondly please use a headset while speaking such as the one shown here ideally with a noise cancelling microphone this will eliminate echo and feedback and will make your sound crisper and clearer for all if you don't have one to hand right now as a temporary measure you could use earbuds with an integrated microphone or headphones and your computer's inbuilt microphone in the worst case scenario that you don't have any of these make sure to mute your computer's speakers when you take the floor to avoid terrible feedback loops in any case please try and pick your proper headsets like the recommended ones for your next meeting and remember all the other options suggested here should be temporary and will make it more difficult to hear and interpret you please also turn on your video it helps other participants feel less alienated and interpreters rely a lot on non-verbal visual cues and body language please make sure you are clear is uh boom yes citizens now guys which animals okay sound check check one two sound check sound check one two these things ladies and gentlemen good morning i set your indulgence that now we take our seats i seek the indulgence of all of us kindly to take our seats their excellence is the president and the head of government and the host is excellency under buru kenyatta will be joining us in a moment from now so i seek the indulgence of all of us that we take our seats as i take cognizance and appreciate that uh his excellency uru kenyatta the president of republic of kenyan the commander-in-chief of the defense forces has already unveiled the commemorative flag of unep at 50 and will be joining us in a moment from now so i see called the dungeons of all of us to take our seats as we welcome the excellencies head of state and government those who are still standing kindly take your seat i take cognizance and appreciate the presence of his excellency mohammed buhari president of the federal republic of nigeria he's already with us i take cognizance and appreciate the presence of his excellency dr moguetsi eric cabetoe massi president of the republic of botswana he's also with us take cognizance and appreciate the presence of his excellency mr felix moloa the prime minister of the central african republic representing the head of state of the central african republic taking cognizance of all the vice presidents his excellency dr philip the vice president of united republic of tanzania his excellency mr sergey ali the vice president and head of department of environment and islamic republic of iran he's like her excellency miss eva basaeba masodi the deputy prime minister and the minister for environment sustainable development so any moment from now we'll be joined by our head of states and government so i seek the intelligence of all the members present kindly to take your seats as we'll be proceeding to the main program in a moment from now welcome so um so so [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] amen [Music] [Applause] of the republic of kenya the commander-in-chief of the defense forces the head of states and government as they join us into our fifth sixth assembly welcome your excellency the head of states and government let's applaud the election as the prisoner as they joined us [Music] his excellency mohammed president of the federal republic of nigeria [Applause] [Applause] welcome your excellencies [Applause] [Music] thank you thank you red for thank you with your permission your excellencies please be seated with your gracious permission sir i now invite the president of the sixth united nation environment assembly is also the minister for energy transition sustainable development of morocco for development her excellency ms leyla benally to proceed with the assembly welcome your excellency another honorable minister's excellencies distinguished guests distinguished delegates ladies and gentlemen i called to order the first plenary meeting of the first special session of the united nations environmental assembly on the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the united nations environment program i wish to extend a warm welcome to all delegates to this meeting both to those who are attending in person and those who are joining online a special welcome also to the delegates who i join in from capitals i would like now to give the floor to the secretariat to briefly introduce the guidelines for covet-19 measures thank you madam president in preparation for this special session of the united nations environment assembly a number of covet 19 safety measures have been implemented these include the following daily rapid testing for participants and staff all in-person meeting participants are required to take the test daily and report within the app or web version of their results regardless of whether one has symptoms or not alcohol hand sanitizers are available at different points within the gigiri complex soap and water will be available in the bathroom facilities the meeting organizers have ensured that the meeting venues are regularly cleaned and with a focus on high-touch surfaces and lectins meeting venues will have adequate natural or artificial ventilation in place the meeting has a face mask mandate therefore meeting participants will be expected to wear face mask at all times except when a participant is delivering a statement or having a meal or drink there are defined seating arrangements in the meeting venues this reflects the concept of one metre physical distancing this will also facilitate contact tracing if required health and safety champions are stationed in or near the conference to serve as observers and to answer any covet related questions from delegates and escalate any issues of concern guidance for in-person participants have been published which includes project call for those who may test positive for copied at the conference medical support is available on site this includes emergency medical support for coveted 19 and non-coveted 19 related emergencies the 24-hour yunnan joint medical service call center is supported by the kobit 19 hotline personnel to address coveted 19 health queries and concerns from meeting participants unep and the un medical service are working with the government of kenya's ministry of health for support on medical to provide support for medical issues an isolation tent is available at the meeting venue in the event that a participant falls ill and requires medical attention and separation from other participants on-site pcr testing undertaken by iom for travel is available for all delegates participants may pay the fee and unemp will cover sponsored participants the test must be booked in advance for the details required for the certificate so all delegates are strongly encouraged to book their tests as soon as possible the booking link is available on the covered guidance for participants thank you madam president so pursuant to unea decision 5 3 the special session of the assembly to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the united nations environment program is being held at its headquarters in nairobi from 3rd to 4th march 2022 under the leadership of the presidency and the bureau of the sixth session of the environment assembly this special session is held under the theme strengthening the united nations environment program for the implementation of the environmental dimension of the 2030 agenda of the for sustainable development i would like to inform that in accordance with rule 67 of the rules of procedure of the assembly the formal plenary meetings will be webcast in all official languages of the assembly do we still have a translation issue the translation issue is being fixed i would like to move now to agenda item number two adoption of the agenda and organization of the work i now invite the assembly to consider agenda item 2 adoption of the agenda organization of work delegations will recall that the committee of for of permanent representatives considered and agreed upon the provisional agenda as contained the document unep slash ea slash ss one slash one at its 15th 156th meeting held on 30th of november 2021 before proceeding further i wish to take this opportunity to thank and a knowledge with appreciation the months of hard work and cooperation by my colleagues in the bureau of the assembly and the committee of permanent representatives in preparation of this commemoration when i may i take the ticket that the assembly wishes to adopt the provisional agenda as it appears in document ea slash ss one slash one it is so decided i now wish to invite your attention to the organization of work as presented is in the annotated annotated agenda unep slash e a slash ss one slash one slash add one i propose that the assembly considers agenda item 5 presentation of the report of the executive director in the science policy interface and agenda item 6 presentation of the stakeholder report entitled the unep we want in the plenary meeting to be held today march 3rd 2022 in the afternoon if i see no objection it is so decided i'd like to propose that the assembly decide on the following organization of work that the time limit for statements in explanation of position before action and after action on a proposal be limited to three minutes that delegation should exercise their right of reply at the end of the day whenever two meetings have been scheduled for that day whenever such meetings are devoted to the consideration of the same item or at the end of the course consideration of an item that the number of interventions in the exercise of the right of reply for any delegation at a given meeting should be limited to two per item that the first intervention in the exercise of the right to reply for any delegation on any item and any given meeting should be limited to three minutes and the second intervention should be limited to two minutes is there any objection if i hear no objection it is so decided the assembly has just concluded its consideration of agenda item number two i now invite the assembly to consider agenda item 3 credentials of representatives in consultation with the bureau of assembly it is recommended that we defer this agenda item to the closing plenary meeting to be held on friday march 4th 2022 in the afternoon to allow sufficient time for the bureau to examine the credentials of representatives and submit its report to the assembly i see no objection it is so decided the assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item three for those delegations who have not that have not yet done so please submit your credentials office to the conference officers seated to my left at your earliest convenience do we have the photo and culture program so honorable ministers excellencies distinguished delegates allow me to suspend the meeting momentarily and invite the assembly to enjoy a short cultural program with a photo opportunity and a performance of the red fourth chorus the meeting is suspended so they have to move to what is the picture today is better than yesterday yesterday the wall came together and committed to stem plastic pollution to ensure that tomorrow will be cleaner and healthier for us and thousands of other species we saw how we galvanize for a common cause look around you embrace the cultural diversity that we bring to this room the energy that we bring to protect this planet with music we promise that we can make today better than yesterday and i hope that tomorrow will be the best of all kulikojana [Music] [Applause] [Applause] hey [Music] m [Applause] oh [Applause] everybody [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] one day [Applause] hey [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] hey [Applause] [Music] [Applause] my [Applause] [Music] [Applause] a [Music] [Applause] [Music] uh [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign um [Music] [Music] [Music] yes [Music] foreign [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] i [Music] [Music] thank you very much [Applause] thank you thank you very much redford course to remind us why we are all here the meeting is resumed honorable heads of states and governments honorable ministers excellencies distinguished delegates on behalf of the united nations environment assembly i would like to welcome our most distinguished guests to this special session before proceeding further i invite delegations to view a short commemorative video on unep at 50. we are facing an existential crisis unlike anything the world has ever seen we need to take action everyone has to stand up the warning is not a new one [Music] our world faces a triple planetary crisis of climate change natural loss and pollution for generations humanity often without realizing it has been destroying the natural world in the name of progress we have polluted the earth's oceans chopped down its forests and clouded its skies today nature and our own survival rest on a knife's edge it's time to ratchet up the action that we need to have at the country level the united nations environment program was established with one goal in mind to unite the world in saving our planet it is clear that the environmental crisis which is confronting the world will profoundly alter the future destiny of our planet for five decades unec has used science and its mandate to bring the world together to help nations find solutions to great environmental threats [Music] what is this pollution that we have heard so much about the mediterranean is sick it's being poisoned slowly but steadily for those who need it most the 1970s found a world grappling with an unprecedented crisis of pollution could the seemingly irreparable damage be undone unep inspired the world to take action preventing oil spills and toxic discharge by ships uniting 143 coastal states to limit ocean pollution and save marine life reducing air pollution and ending the scourge of acid rain but soon the world would face its biggest environmental challenge yet the destruction of the ozone layer on a global scale is no longer just a theory the whole over the antarctica is no longer an isolated seasonal phenomenon if the breach continued to grow the planet would suffer lethal levels of ultraviolet radiation harming human health biodiversity and climate in 1987 unerp facilitated the montreal protocol over 30 countries agreed to phase out the production of almost 100 ozone depleting substances the protocol remains one of the greatest achievements of multilateralism this success set the tone for a series of powerful accords limiting the movement of toxic waste across borders protecting the earth from dangerous long-lasting chemicals and restricting the international trade in mercury most recently in 2021 unep finished a two-decade-long campaign to rid the world of highly toxic leaded petrol saving an estimated million lives each year as the world grappled with pollution and waste another crisis was brewing i have dreamt of seeing the great herds of wild animals jungles and rainforests full of birds and butterflies but now i wonder if they will even exist for my children to see poaching and habitat loss were pushing some of the world's most iconic animals to the brink of extinction driven by science unep supported a series of international treaties limiting and in some cases banning the trade of endangered species safeguarding migratory animals expanding protected areas and increasing financing for biodiversity protection the seminole earth summit in brazil introduced the idea of sustainable development this is an historical moment for the mobilization of all peoples of the world over the last five decades unep has helped more than 100 countries enshrine the right to a healthy environment in their constitutions and produced scientific studies to guide member states in their decision making in 2012 a new international body was established to provide scientific data on biodiversity in a joint effort from unep and other un organizations in 2019 it found that one million species face the threat of extinction underscoring the urgency to act [Music] [Applause] [Music] every action we take alters the earth that future generations will inherit the world is starting to recognize the effects of planetary warming but hyunef began sounding the alarm three decades ago as early as 1988 unep and the world meteorological organization launched the intergovernmental panel on climate change for over 30 years ipcc science has helped member states counter climate change earning the body a nobel prize for its work unep fact studies have informed some of the planet's most crucial climate accords these include a 1992 agreement that set a template for curbing greenhouse gas emissions followed by the kyoto protocol and the landmark 2015 paris agreement i'm proud to announce that 175 parties have signed the paris agreement unep has also mobilized 450 banks insurers and investors to help create a more sustainable world [Music] we don't want fossil fuels anymore a lot has happened in the last 50 years but it's the next 10 that will be pivotal for life on this planet but in fact what you and i and other ordinary people around the world can do will not by itself save the natural world the great decisions the great disasters that face us can only be dealt with by governments and that's why this organization is so important [Music] over the past 50 years we've seen when the world decides to act the world comes together to act together with member states and partners we've achieved a lot but now is the time to truly make that lift for humanity and to do much more and much faster and have every reason to be hopeful as an organization grounded in science unif will do everything in its power to push for breakthroughs our planet and humanity depends on us together we can build a greener and safer and fairer world for all [Music] [Applause] honorable heads of state and government honorable ministers excellencies distinguished delegates the assembly will now resume its consideration of agenda item 1 opening of the session to hear the opening statements yes i've uh that's right this sorry we'll get back to item nine i now invite the assembly to consider agenda item 9 entitled adoption of the political outcome of the session delegations will recall that during the environment assembly in its decision 5 3 decided that it shall at the resume meeting of its fifth session finalize implementation of the mandate entrusted to it by general assembly resolution 73-333 to prepare a political declaration and invited the general assembly to consider the appropriate event for the adoption of such a declaration including the option of adopting it as one of the outcomes of the special session of the environment assembly to be held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the creation of the united nations environment program pursuant to unea decision 5 3 the environment assembly in its resumed fifth session has endorsed and recommended for adoption at the special session the draft resolution entitled political declaration of the special session of the united nations environment assembly to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the united nations environment program contained in documents unep slash ea ss 1 slash l1 may i point out that any if any member state wishing to make an explanation of position will have an opportunity to do so after the adoption i hope you agree with this approach may i take it that it is the wish of the assembly to adopt the draft political declaration contained in document l1 i hear no objection it is adopted [Applause] nobody wants to okay the assembly has thus concluded its consideration of agenda item nine honorable heist of states and governments honorable ministers excellencies distinguished delegates the assembly will now resume its consideration of agenda item one opening of the session to hear the opening statements and i will now deliver my statement his excellency mr uhuru kenyatta president of the republic of kenya his excellency mr mogwitsi masisi president of the republic of botswana his excellency mr muhammadu buhari president of the federal republic of nigeria his excellency mr felix muluwa prime minister of the central african republic his excellency mr colin vixel caleb calapile president of the united nations economic and social council her excellency madame inger anderson executive director of the united nations environment program honorable ministers excellencies distinguished delegates ladies and gentlemen good morning it is an absolute privilege to preside over the special session of the environment assembly to commemorate the establishment of the united nations environment program today is a moment to celebrate this incredible institution its member states and the people that bring it to life today is also a moment to celebrate environmental multilateralism its highs its lows its opportunities its challenges and to advance the conversation on how we can continue to build on these achievements and lessons over the next 50 years but before looking ahead we need to look back it is only through unpacking our lessons from the past that we can start to visualize and create our own future the last 50 years have demonstrated an impressive record of environmental achievement much more is being learned much more much more is being done and certainly a more lasting accomplishment has been the shaping of the multilateral institutions that will continue to protect our environment in the years to come excellencies distinguished delegates how did we get here looking back at the day unep came into being at the end of the first united nations conference on environment and development the stockholm conference held in 1972 that was the starting point of multilateral efforts to address environmental problems and with the creation of unep came notable achievements of its governing council which was composed at the time of only 58 member states hosting the secretariats of several multilateral environmental agreements and research bodies co-establishing the intergovernmental panel climate change and implementing the global environment facility and the multilateral fund for the implementation of the montreal protocol the creation of the intergovernmental montevideo program on promoting implementing environmental law these are just a few examples and then we speak keep forward to 2013 when the united nations general assembly adopted resolution 67-213 to strengthen and upgrade unep to respond to growing environmental challenges that was quickly followed by the designation of the unit governing council to what we have today the united in nations environment assembly of the united nations environment program with universal membership if 2013 was the year of strengthening unep's governing body and designing the foundations of unia the task of the global community since then has been to follow through on the great commitments placed on this organization and the results of the work of the assembly are tangible i do not have to remind you of this series of important resolutions that have been adopted since 2013 including the landmark resolution on plastics adopted just yesterday [Applause] the implications of this resolution are enormous uni a 5.2 and the special session on unep at 50 will certainly be remembered as one of the key key global inter international intergovernmental meetings on the environment excellencies distinguished delegates ladies and gentlemen despite how far we've come in multilateralism in the governance of unep over the its 50 years serious challenges continue to threaten these achievements the intensive use of our planets finite resources and increasing inequalities have all contributed to consequences that can compromise the gains already achieved and the viability of current and future generations development the crisis we are living through at the moment covet 19 pandemic the associated challenges of recovering from widespread economic slowdown potentially a recession the climate emergency biodiversity loss pollution are all too complex they are trans boundary they are multifaceted and that for any state it's very difficult for any state to tackle on its own in the last five decades we've seen considerable progress in terms of protecting the environment we've seen technological revolutions in terms of growth of the global economy worldwide social development we must continue strengthening multilateralism to contribute to meaningfully create lasting solutions respect of a global rules-based rules-based system has underpinned environmental conservation for the past 50 years the environment assembly embodies this principle and remains an indispensable authority in facing present and future challenges let me also acknowledge that environmental multilateralism can be a complex slow and frustrating process however its doubt in it is counterproductive excellencies distinguished delegates ladies and gentlemen i would like to end by once again going back to unep's beginning and share an excerpt from a quote by klaus topher unep's former executive director the extraordinary rise in both human populations and consumptions consumption levels leaves us no choice but to take innovative and ambitious actions to reverse the widespread destruction of species and ecosystems eunup's forefathers left to us the responsibility of a better world and today's achievements are because of those foundations the opportunity is now for us as the environment assembly governing the united nations environment program to take up the challenge of moving environmental multilateralism system to the next level it's up to us to move the pendulum move the needle and to pave the way for the next generation i look forward to working with you all to support this effort happiest 50th birthday to the un environment program thank you very much shukran merci asante sana [Applause] i now invite the assembly to view a video message from his excellency mr abdullah shaheed president of the 76th session of the general assembly excellencies colleagues friends i'm honored to join you all in commemorating the 50th anniversary of the united nations environment program i take this opportunity to extend my congratulations to unep on its milestone 50th anniversary and to express my confidence that unep will continue to build on its successes in the years ahead over the last 50 years europe has coordinated a worldwide effort to confront the planet's biggest environmental challenges the organization has played a key role in creating dozens of institutions and agreements that have advanced understanding of global challenges and propelled international action these include game changes such as the 1987 montreal protocol which led to a 98 drop in controlled ozone depleting gases the international panel on climate change the ipcc which since 1988 has been the leading global body on climate science the 1992 earth summit and its associated global treaties on climate and biodiversity the 2005 millennium ecosystem assessment the first ever survey of the health of the world's biological resources the facing out of leaded fuel last july after relentless 19-year campaign helping prevent many endangered species from going extinct and many many more europe has helped to lay the foundations for a scientific consensus on environmental decline and it should be proud of the body of law that has been enacted globally uneps convenient power and rigorous scientific research has provided a platform for countries to engage act boldly and advance the global environmental agenda likewise i also acknowledge and applaud the government of kenya for its role in hosting the secretariat of unite for the past 50 years and for supporting its many initiatives in environmental conservation excellencies dear friends today as we commemorate uneps efforts and achievements we must reflect on whether we as a global community are doing enough to support those efforts and to meet our obligations to the planet now at this very critical time as the world recovers from a pandemic and is confronted with the realities of war climate change and environmental degradation we must step up to the task we must redouble our commitments and stay on track to meet the 2030 agenda for sustainable development we must take action to preserve our planet its environments and our collective well-being during this high-level meeting i look forward to member states adoption of the political declaration on strengthening international environmental law in environmental governance and i very much look forward to the outcome that will derive from the fifth session of the u.n environment assembly my friends i come from the maldives a small island state heavily reliant on our ecosystems for our sustenance and economy i know the human costs that will accompany environmental degradation and climate change that is why i made protecting the planet one of the key priorities of my presidency of hope and why i will continue to support environmental champions such as unep in their important work in three months we will mark 50 years since the historic conference held in stockholm in 1972 which led to the creation of eunip the stockholm declaration provided the first agreed set of principles for work in the field of human environment it was a considerable contribution to the development of international environmental law its legacy continues recognizing this i will convene a preparative meeting for this international meeting in three weeks at the united nations in new york stockholm will serve as a space for reflection on the dependencies between humanity and the environment and on our responsibility for the well-being of both both commemorations provide opportunities to build lasting coalitions for the environment and will foster stronger partnerships for and with future generations this is something i truly champion to build the future we want we need to listen to the voices of future generations in recognition of these important commemorations and given that the 76th session of the united nations general assembly coincides with high-level meetings on biodiversity decertification the ocean energy and climate i will convene a high-level thematic debate in july entitled a moment for nature there we will reflect on solutions to common bottlenecks across the environmental agenda to accelerate progress on all fronts i will also convene a high-level meeting in may focused on the sustainable and resilient recovery of the tourism sector where i will emphasize the need for the world to transition to blue and green economic practices i believe we can achieve prosperity for all without compromising our natural blessings and while taking action to protect climate vulnerable communities residing in small island developing states dear colleagues rest assured that throughout the session and going forward i will always support efforts to preserve the health of our planet though the challenges are many and the pandemic has made our task of meeting those challenges ever more difficult i believe that through multilateralism and concerted effort we will prevail with that conviction let us act now to preserve the earth and its rich environmental heritage for generations to come i thank you [Applause] thank you your excellency mr abdullah shaheed for for your statement uh it is now my pleasure to invite the assembly to view a video message from his excellency mr antonio gutierrez secretary general of the united nations excellencies colleagues dear friends it gives me great pleasure to greet this landmark special session when the united nations environment program was founded in 1972 the planet was already showing signs of buckling under the weight of humanity unapp offered the world a new way forward based on a vision for a better healthier earth built on the pillars of international cooperation in the following decades unnap and its partners would work with member states to combat air pollution restore the ozone layer protect the world seas promote a green and inclusive economy and raise the alarm about biodiversity loss and climate change it has shown that multilateralism works and can deliver solutions for people and the planet unep science policy work coordination and advocacy has helped to write environment wrongs around the world and raise awareness of the critical importance of the environmental dimension of sustainable development the work you do has never been more important humanity continues to wage a suicidal war against nature climatize disruption biodiversity and habitat loss and pollution and waste threaten our societies and much of life on earth we know what needs to be done first we must protect the most vulnerable who now number in the billions we need scaled up international cooperation to provide the financial and technical assistance that vulnerable countries and communities need for greater resilience donors and multilateral development banks should more than double the share for climate adaptation to at least 50 percent of climate finance by 2024. second the world must cut global emissions by 45 this decade to reach net zero emissions by 2050. this means no new coal and local finance i was encouraged in glasgow by the announcement of a renewable energy partnership with south africa we need equivalent coalitions for all countries that have pledged to get out of coal and that need technological and financial support call needs to be phased out in ocd countries by 2030 and by 2040 everywhere else and every sector in every country needs to decarbonize this decade especially the energy and transportation sectors third we must halt the extinction distinction crisis that means having an ambitious and actionable post-2020 biodiversity framework to put us on a path of leaving in harmony with nature and force and finally we must drastically reduce chemical plastic and solid waste pollution that means tackling the drivers of environmental degradation especially poverty and unsustainable consumption and production i'm encouraged by the moves by the uh environment assembly to establish an intergovernmental committee to negotiate a legally binding global agreement on plastic pollution we must also transform our financial and accounting systems so they reflect the true cost of economic activities including their impact on nature and the environment in all we do we need to follow science and engage in multilateral action to make peace with nature unapp supports that science and facilities multilateral action and partnership i sent kenya for hosting uneps headquarters over the last 50 years making nairobi the global hug for the environment on this anniversary let us reflect on the urgent tasks ahead we are nearing a point of no return and let our successes such as the montreal protocol give us inspiration for the huge efforts that are needed now to ensure these and future generations can live on a sustainable planet unapp along with the entire united nation system will be central to those efforts as you look ahead let us grasp the opportunities of working together under an active open and networked multilateralism all countries have a crucial role to play in protecting people and the planet i wish you a fruitful special session of the environment assembly and i wish you every success in the important work to come thank you [Applause] thanks to his excellency mr antonio guterres for his wise words next i'm honored to invite his excellency mr colin vexel calapile president of the economic and social council to deliver his statement your excellency ms leyla bernali president of the sixth session of the united nations environment assembly and minister of energy transition and sustainable development of the kingdom of morocco your excellency mr uhuru kenyatta president of the republic of kenya your excellency muhammadu buhari president of the federal republic of nigeria your excellency dr mukherjee eric gavitrim assisi my own state president of the republic of botswana your excellency mr felix malola prime minister of the central african republic honorable ministers executive director of unep inga anderson members of the diplomatic corps and heads of the un system and other international organizations ladies and gentlemen at the outset let me express my sincere appreciation to the executive director of the united nations environment program unep for inviting me and actually kindly facilitating my in-person participation in this 50th anniversary commemoration i joined the previous speakers in commending unip for effectively implementing its mandate as the focal agency for environmental issues in the un system this includes monitoring the state of the environment informing policy making and coordinating responses to the world's environmental challenges on many occasions unep has brought more attention to environmental problems that were previously given in adequate attention it was the proactive work of unet and its partners in 1989 data lettered the world about the devastating impact of climate change only had we listened and acted in a timely manner among many other commendable achievements is unep's dedicated focus on environmental education at all levels the advocacy for protection of disease and wetlands and the contribution to environmental materialism through supporting the formulation of international agreements furthermore i am impressed by the support that unemp has already provided and continues to provide especially to developing countries in the field of green technology particularly solar energy and electric mobility excellencies i should note that as we celebrate uneps achievements of the past 50 years this commemoration is also an opportunity for governments and all stakeholders to reaffirm their commitment to work even more closely and collaboratively with unemp going into what is already a very uncertain future now more than ever before unep will need our strong support as it relentlessly leads urgent efforts to address the triple planetary crisis in the form of climate change biodiversity loss and pollution as president of ecosoc i am determined to rally the council's membership to support europe and inspire its work in coordination with the entire u.n system as the u.n principal organ dedicated to development matters ecosoc greatly values the important input unh provides to the work of the council in championing the environmental dimension of sustainable development this is primarily due to the fact that despite being indiscriminate climate change and environmental challenges mostly impact vulnerable groups in our societies including the poor indigenous peoples small land holders coastal communities women and girls as well as countries in special situations such as the small island developing states the least developed countries the landlocked developing countries excellencies part of building back better and recovering from cov19 pandemic should therefore include simultaneously addressing the triple planetary crisis this demands working very closely with the unep to inform climate change biodiversity loss and pollution mitigation and adaptation policy measures in this regard we at ecosoc look forward to convening the member states and other stakeholders for the high level political forum on sustainable development the hltf which will be held in july where sdg 14 on live below water and sdg 15 life on land will be among the goals to be reviewed in depth i therefore count on unip the member states and other partners to ensure that the hlpf also benefits from discussions and outcomes of this very meeting as well as the resume session of the un environment assembly i also invite the member states to engage with our council and actively participate at ecosoc's various activities that are aimed at preparing for the hlpf we must ensure that deliberations at the upcoming ecosoc forum on financing for development follow-up the multi-stakeholder forum on science technology and innovation for sustainable development goals and the hlpf itself reflect the interconnectedness of the 2030 agenda in the paris agreement as well as all other multilateral environmental agreements excellencies in conclusion let me reaffirm that as president of eckosoft i am committed to contribute in strengthening multilateralism international cooperation and solidarity in a way that amplifies the voices of the most vulnerable countries and engaging all stakeholders to increase the ambition for sustainable development and climate action to ensure that no one is left behind but sadly we are meeting at the time when our global peace is facing serious threats beyond the already severe setbacks occasioned by the coveted 19 pandemic we cannot afford any further destruction from focusing on achieving the 2030 agenda and in this decade of action we all understand that peace and development are interlinked and none can be advanced without the other it is therefore my hope that global peace shall be maintained in order to create the necessary conditions for ecosoc and the u.n system including unep to meaningfully contribute to an sdg-led recovery from the kobe 19 and thus achieved the longer term socio-economic progress in sustainable development envisioned in the u.n chapter i thank you so much for your kind attention thank you your excellency calapili for uh setting such a clear road map i now welcome mrs inger anderson executive director of the united nations environment program to deliver her opening remarks thank you thank you madam president your excellency your hurricane yatta president of the republic of kenya your excellency makwezi masisi president of the republic of botswana your excellency muhammadu buhari president of the federal republic of nigeria your excellency felix malua prime minister of the central republic of central african republic and your excellency leila benally president of the sixth united nations environment assembly and your excellency colin vixen calapili president of the united nations economic and social council colleagues and friends distinguished guests friends who have worked with us for so long allow me to begin to thank her excellency ambassador mahadi of algeria and everyone else who worked so hard to organize this commemoration of unep at 50. friends eunip and the environmental movement has traveled far since its birth in 1972 stockholm conference our journey has sometimes been difficult but it is always guided by vision by science by the certainty that a healthy environment benefits everyone everywhere this journey has carried the environment from the fringes to the mainstream set the crisis of climate change nature and biodiversity loss and pollution and waste buzzing on everyone's lit lips let humanity to understand that we must transform our societies and economies to protect the earth our only home so that it can sustain us friends today we are standing on the shoulders of the stockholm giants maurice strong who led the conference and became europe's first executive director prime minister indira gandhi whose speech linked environmental conservation and poverty reduction one of the key principles of the sustainable development goals prime minister olaf palmer whose call for concerted international actions resonates even today president jomo kenyatta who gave unep its home the first united nations headquarters in the global south where we stand today with his son president uhuru kenyatta [Applause] their memories live on in us their deeds live on with us because these pioneers and others like them made everything we do possible so let us remember how they put the environment on the social economic map back then carving out the relevance of yes a little known subject was not easy people sent telegraphs not emails they took flights to advocate for change instead of placing video calls there were no universities from which you could graduate with a degree environmental studies yet these pioneers succeeded and how they laid the foundations of the awareness that we see today they evolved the tapestry of multilateral environmental agreements that hold us to account on everything from protecting species to slow and grow global warming the obvious example is a motor montreal protocol yes you've heard this one before but don't stop me there instead pause to reflect on that achievement the world united too repair a hole in the sky not a hole in a sock not a hole in the road not a hole in the budget a gaping hole in the sky the blue vastness above us yet humanity and human technology had carved out this hole but we didn't double down and continue enlarging the whole we doubled back we fixed the error we saved millions of lives and protected nature we showed that environmental multilateralism does deliver that is a lesson that should inspire us today friends there have been other major achievements the launch of the scientific body the ipcc the phase out of lead in petrol and just yesterday the resolution starting the pathway to a global plastic pollution deal to end plastic pollution for good but let's zoom out and see the overarching success today unep is now at the heart of protecting the asset upon which we all rely the environment the world has realized that it cannot pollute its way to development and clean up later we have a human right to a healthy environment youth are demanding change governments cities and regions are acting businesses are acting investors are acting none of this was in place 50 years ago however our journey will only conclude when we ensure that humanity as a whole can thrive without skewing the delicate balance of life on this glorious planet the ipcc told us earlier this week that global warming and climate change have caused climate injustice and dangerous disruption to the natural world nature and biodiversity loss are undermining their sustainable development goals pollution and waste are killing millions of people each year now we must quicken our steps before that triple planetary crisis leaves us stumbling to catch through its growing wake of destruction the group the global community must move from science to policy to real meaningful action our to-do list is long ensure economic decisions account for global public goods that is nature reshape our energy transport and food systems around decarbonization and circularity transform economic and financial models so that capital backs the planet and people as well as profitability invigorate multilateralism through the common agenda as the global organization through which the nations can safely safeguard this planet unip will throw everything that it has at these transformation its science its innovation its commitment its experience and its heart but eunip and the environmental movement cannot do this alone we need everyone with us and not just the true believers and yes some of us must do more than others this is how we deliver justice for those who bear the least responsibility for the triple planetary crisis but suffer the most we must change and deliver on a stable climate on a rich and bountiful nature and on a solution free world because when we do so we deliver on the sdgs friends i know that many people see storms storm clouds thickening overhead and despair at being lost forever in the darkness i understand but i see a glistening golden thread of environmental action that our forebears wove for us in 1972 a thread that unip and the environmental community has thickened into a rope a guide rope strong enough for us all to grasp a thread that is woven in multilateralism we must now hold on to this rope and follow it into blue skies azure seas verdant nature thrumming with life in all its forms into peace and prosperity and equity into a world where humanity as part of nature lives as part of nature and not above it we owe this to the past to our present and most certainly to the future thank you [Applause] thank you very much mrs anderson for your inspiring statement as usual and i would like to take this opportunity to thank very deeply uh for the dedicated and relentless efforts the secretariat under the leadership of the executive director and the acting deputy executive director mrs sonja leyton khan in prepare in preparing for this special session of the assembly and this commemoration [Applause] the assembly has now concluded its consideration of agenda item one i now invite the assembly to consider agenda item 4 statements by representatives the assembly will begin to hear statements delivered by heads of state and government it is now my honor to invite his excellency mr moguitsy massisi president of the republic of botswana your excellency you have the floor [Applause] thank you very much madam president director of ceremonies your excellency president uhuru kenyatta president of the republic of kenya your excellency president mohammad bihari president of the federal republic of nigeria your excellency prime minister felix murua the prime minister of car your excellency the president of the of unu nda ms linda minadi your excellency madame inga anderson executive director of un un unep and president colin quiller pile of ecosoc distinguished guests and i can't help but notice the former executive director of und of unep now director of the executive director of undp your excellencies distinguished ladies and gentlemen a very good morning to you i wish to take this opportunity to thank the government of the republic of kenya for convening this special commemorative event and for inviting bojana to be a part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the united nations environmental program kenya continues to provide exemplary leadership in the fields of sustainable development environmental management and climate change on behalf of the people and the government of botswana i therefore wish to applaud his excellency president kenyatta for his visionary leadership and stewardship not so long ago the great talmud of coffee 19 that company the commemorations of the 75th anniversary of the un served a spectra of a dull moment itself a useful reminder of how the promises to bequeath a safer planet to succeeding generations could be so encumbered within the blink of an eye my delegation therefore welcomes the opportunity provided by this commemoration to reflect on our interactions with uni another future we want your excellencies distinguished guests botswana applauds unep it's past and current leadership for the impact the organization has had on our environmental management agenda the organization remains a global authority on environmental matters to this end we welcome this commemoration as a moment to reflect on past achievements and to ponder on current challenges in order that in order to chart the way forward and strengthen this premier organization this commemoration comes at a time when the world is faced with multifaceted challenges that continue to militate against the achievement of sustainable development and the protection of our planet the stark realities of the world is no longer what it was many years ago the economic environmental and social challenges of the 21st century are varied and quite profound and have significantly altered the global sustainable development order economic activity and population growth particularly in the developing countries have compounded the already enormous strain placed on the world's natural resources and ecosystems more especially more specifically the impacts of climate change decentrification loss of biodiversity and growing levels of poverty are a painful reality of our times in view of these challenges it is essential for us as a global as global leaders to champion the balance between environment and development to this end unep provides a strong platform in terms of decision making as well as an effective reference point which you must support in whatever way possible your excellencies are distinguished guests there are significant achievements that botswana has realized within the sphere of environmental management botswana has updated and enacted new legislation and policy instruments to respond to their ever evolving environmental challenges in order to contribute effectively to the global challenge to address climate change we have strengthened and updated our national determined contributions and developed the climate change policy and the national adaptation plan we pursued these policy developments in line with the national transformation agenda where we are focused on transforming the general socio-economic and environmental status of bhutan in keeping with our international obligations botswana has continued to ensure high standards in the sustainable management of biodiversity rich ecosystems such as the ogovango delta now listed as a world heritage site and the mahadakhadi wetlands system we also continue to ensure that the abundant wildlife resources are protected and utilized sustainably i am particularly proud to state that forty percent of bhutan's land is under protected area status as madonna we also take pride in having integrated environmental management into our national development planning processes and in our national vision 2036 these are two key development instruments that guide our development as a nation furthermore a position has been taken to ensure that all national policy development processes integrate environmental management as this is a cross cutting issue at the local level botswana has community-based natural resource management program this is meant to enhance community livelihoods through sustainable use of the natural resource base that exist in the environment among this is a sustainable use of wildlife resources to support community livelihoods my government has also strengthened the national environmental fund which is a funding mechanism that supports communities in implementing environment and development projects that can enhance live loads build resilience economic recovery and sustainability your excellencies distinguish guests but honor continues to walk in the path provided by a multilateral environmental agreements that she is party to however with limited resources fulfilling these commitments continues to remain a challenge but we stand committed as botswana do not doubt it before i conclude my remarks i wish to appeal to the international community green philanthropists private sector research institutions and development agencies among others to prioritize incentivizing success in conservation nations that have succeeded in conservation especially of critical global goods such as red listed species should be supported and not punished for their success stories through stringent global regulatory measures that deter sustainable utilization and trade in wildlife resources among others let me reaffirm buddha's commitment to multilateralism and to the collective interests of the global community as a spouse in the sustainable development goals together as nations through collaborations and partnerships we can realize the future we aspire for and unep remains a valuable leader to connect us with this future i thank you for your attention [Applause] thank you your excellency masisi for sharing your vision commitments and the achievements of the republic of botswana it is now my honor to invite his excellency mr muhammadu buhari president of the federal republic of nigeria your excellency your the floor is yours [Applause] your excellency president who kenyatta your excellency is president and prime minister here president your excellency is the executive director of unapp you are excellency president of unea six distinguished delegates ladies and gentlemen it gives me great pleasure to deliver these remarks as we gather during this social session to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the united nations environmental program under the theme strengthening united nations environment program for the implementation of the environmental dimension of the 2030 agenda for sustained development your excellencies the united nations environment program 50 is a time to reflect on the fast and envision the future it provides the opportunity to boast international cooperation and stimulate collective action to address the tribal planetaries crisis of climate change nature and biodiversity laws and pollution and waste as we all know no country or continent can address these global crisis alone each nation has a central role to play in protecting our people and planet excellence says distinguished ladies and gentlemen 50 years ago after united nations conference on the human environment in stockholm in june 1972 with the efforts of ambassador morris strong of canada many governments became convinced of the need to make climate and environment action a priority and was more strong as united nations environment program's first executive director the past was clear to what nations need to make our environment safer healthier and better during last year's cup 26 in glasgow white has worked towards firing action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also pledging to take steps to adapting to climate impacts nations are constantly facing the threats of disrupted weather patterns low food production and rising sea levels that increase the risk of catastrophic flooding among other challenges in that regard nigeria pledged to work with other countries in achieving the goals of the paris agreement and in doing so has increased her conditional contribution to reduce greenhouse gas from 45 percent to 47 percent additionally i outlined nigeria's efforts and commitments towards transition to net zero a mission which involved both environment and development related plans as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of united nations environment programs existence we lose the efforts of united nations environment program and encourage broader action to outcome climate change biodiversity rising levels of pollution and west being three major crisis threatening our planet notably despication and drought are threatening lives and livelihoods which further and underscores the need to boost biodiversity in ecosystem restoration we thank the united nations environment program for its role in reducing biodiversity loss and for being a major player in the global movement to slow deforestation accelerate affordation we recognize that restoring key ecosystems is crucial to help combat climate change and achieve sustainable development therefore by collaborating with partners such as the united nations environment program we believe that much more success would be recorded as we journey in collective struggle against climate change excellencies distinguished ladies and gentlemen i would now like to thank my dear brother his excellency president uhuru kenyatta for his invitation and the very warm hospitality extended to our delegation in the same way i would like to thank the ministers of environment and their team for their commitment and active participation during the resume fifth session of the united nations general assembly which preceded the commemorative event similarly i heartily congratulate the leadership of the united nations environment program as we commemorate and celebrate your successes and achievements in the last 50 years i take this opportunity to urge redoubled collective efforts to improve and sustain climate action nature action chemical and pollution action air bio safety disasters and conflicts green economy gender oceans and seas resource efficiency water and youth education in order to save our planet and achieve the 2030 agenda on sustainable development thank you very much for listening [Applause] thank you to president buhari of the federal republic of nigeria for the compelling and comprehensive statement thank you very much excellencies distinguished delegates i am now deeply honored to invite the host country to unep his excellency mr uhuru kenyatta president and commander-in-chief of the defense forces of the republic of kenya to address the environment assembly thank you [Applause] your excellency muhammadu buhari president of the federal republic of nigeria your excellency dr maguezi masisi president of the republic of botswana your excellency felix molua prime minister of the central african republic the president of unair and minister of energy and environment your foreign president of ecosoc the executive director of united nations environmental program the director general of the united nations office in nairobi your excellencies ambassadors high commissioners ladies and gentlemen let me begin by saying that on behalf of the people of kenya we warmly welcome you to this event that commemorates today 50 years since the establishment of the united nations environmental program unep in 1972. today marks a proud moment as we celebrate the extraordinary environment journey that we all have walked together as a global community the stockholm conference in 1972 led to the establishment of the united nations environmental program and galvanized the formation the formation of environment ministries and agencies around the world since then through a series of protocols such as the 1987 montreal protocol for limiting emissions of gases conferences such as the earth summit in 1992 as well as through systematic scientific research unem has transformed into a formidable ecological consciousness for the world as it boldly championed the environment agenda progressively over the last 50 years unep has led the world to understand the centrality of environment in human existence to appreciate the increased threats to the environment and also the existential threat that exists to our planet they have also helped us galvanize collective global action to protect our environment the journey has not been easy it has required unep to provide technical diplomatic as well as political leadership in the development of the core concept of sustainable development and more importantly to build ownership of these concepts at national level as part of you of unep's core mission it has required defining and enforcing rules and procedures for protecting the environment such as limiting of emissions or stopping endangered species from becoming extinct through its scientifically driven agenda unemp has established a credible platform for countries to come together and act boldly to advance the global environment agenda i commend the leadership of the united nations and the unep family for successfully steering the environmental ship through troubled waters and remaining steadfast and focused in implementing your core mandate at this point i would like to congratulate unair 5 for a successful assembly which has witnessed the adoption of the end plastic pollution resolution and several other resolutions culminating in a ministerial direct declaration i know this was not easy and for that reason i want to commend and congratulate all member states for the dedication and diligence that you have shown towards prioritizing this real issue that affects our planet [Applause] i also want to congratulate the executive director missing anderson for the fruitful results of this assembly and most importantly recognize the implementing and coordinating role that this resolution has placed on you to ensure the modalities of the resolution are actioned and implemented by member states and we assure you of our support in this endeavor [Applause] as we look forward we must also look back and i wish to recognize two individuals who championed the creation of an environmental organization and the hosting of unip here in nairobi they are the late ambassador joey odera who was kenya's permanent representative to the u.n and who played an instrumental role in ensuring that unemp finds a home here in nairobi equally worthy of recognition is the first unep executive director the late maurice strong mr strong played a central leadership role in defining the character of the united nations environmental program and in leading the earth summit which is recognized as one of the most consequential unep con conferences allow me also to recognize and appreciate all executive directors who followed mr strong allow me also today to recognize the late professor wangari madai who championed practical and locally grown solutions to fight environmental degradation [Applause] i also wish to thank all member states who contributed to the towards ensuring that unep obtained the support it required to host the two events this week unair 5 and unep at 50. as we look forward towards the future of the united nations environmental program we we want and i want to urge all stakeholders to enhance mobilize and prioritize support for this important organization i urge all of us to support unep because it has without doubt demonstrated its critical role in ensuring a sustainable planet by tackling cross-cutting issues such as climate change biodiversity loss and plastic pollution so your excellencies distinguish delegates ladies and gentlemen we cannot talk about development peace and security without highlighting highlighting its nexus with climate change unchecked climate change will pose unacceptable risks to our security our economies rsdg and indeed our planet it is only through a united front by all member states against the triple planetary crisis namely climate change nature and pollution of the sustainable development goals will be achieved let us therefore commit to support unit to steer the environmental discussions towards tangible and sustainable solutions kenya remains committed to environmental sustainability and in this regard we have firmly anchored the environment pillar in our economic blueprint that we term kenya vision 2030 we are proud to be the only un headquarters in the global south an honor that we appreciate and protect we have therefore worked closely with the un to provide support and facilities to the un agencies based in kenya and in our region so that they are able to achieve their mandate today i am pleased to report that we will provide land for the development of humanitarian and logistic hubs in three locations in kenya namely naivasha nairobi and mombasa we have also further provided land for the creation of a diplomatic enclave adjacent to the united nations office at the u.n nairobi complex in addition in addition and in order to enhance efficiency in the administration of diplomatic privileges we have developed an integrated protocol management information system that creates an automated one-stop shop for tax exemptions staff registration issuance of diplomatic id cards registration and transfer of motor vehicles among other online services [Applause] so your excellency is distinguished delegates ladies and gentlemen i want to conclude my remarks by saying how proud we are as a country to co-host this commemoration of unep at 50 here at its headquarters i wish to once again reiterate kenya's utmost support to the united nations environmental program and reaffirm our commitment towards ensuring that it continues to deliver on its critical mandate i also call upon all member states to continue to ensure that their commitments and support to this organization which are critical in safeguarding our planet our prosperity are also given a key priority i also wish ladies and gentlemen to take this opportunity to invite you all to two key events that i believe will enable us to consolidate the commitments we make this week that is the stockholm plus 50 which kenya is co-hosting with sweden and will be held in stockholm on the 2nd to the 3rd of june this year this event will be a celebration of the 50 years of global environmental action and more importantly it will act as a springboard to accelerate the implementation of the u.n decade of action to deliver the sdgs and to encourage the adoption of green post covert 19 recovery plans soon after stockholm plus 50 kenya will also co-host with portugal the u.n oceans conference in lisbon on the 27th of june to the 1st of july 2022 this conference will seek to propel the much needed science-based innovative solutions to sustainability and to sustainability in the management of our oceans we look forward to seeing you all in stockholm and lisbon as i conclude excellencies ladies and gentlemen and in recognition and in order to celebrate the 50 years of unip the kenyan government has decided to put forward the armani and mazingira global award that will be sponsored by the kenyan government and the people of kenya this will be an award to persons or institutions who champion environmental sustainability and peace and will be a bi annual award it will be accompanied by a monetary award of 20 000 u.s dollars and the first awardee will be announced on the 1st of june of this year which is our madaraka or republic day with those few remarks ladies and gentlemen i thank you all for your kind attention thank you [Applause] thank you very much mr president i think the united nations environment program remained deeply grateful to the host country for the hospitality but also for the efforts that are being done to make the life of multilateral diplomats uh definitely easier and to help the work of diplomats in the future and my sincere gratitude uh your excellency president kenyatta and indeed to all heads of state and government in attendance for your time for your consideration for your leadership for reminding us of the spirit of our forefathers and your participation in this special session thank you very much [Applause] now continuing in the spirit of appreciation and celebration it gives me great pleasure to welcome a kenyan band salty soul to perform for the first time ever at the united nations office in nairobi the home of the united nations environment program for the last 50 years i would now suspend the meeting for the musical performance the meeting is suspended check ladies and gentlemen thank you very much for having us today i'd like to thank the president honorable working at your excellency thank you for having us always a pleasure playing for you also other heads of state in the house we are saudi soul we are cultural ambassadors of this country and it's a pleasure to be here today the song we're going to do next is about dancing so if you're somewhere where you have a little bit of space i'm requesting you to join us as we dance to celebrate this momentous occasion thank you very much [Music] yeah are you ready [Music] is [Music] i hope you're happy now i see your changes came from is [Music] [Music] hear somebody loves you [Music] [Music] brazil [Music] [Applause] and i see you in china somebody loves you [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] [Music] hello [Applause] everybody [Music] hello hello hello hello if you get to hear this song somebody loves you thank you very much thank you that's our time always a pleasure and self-esteem there is a photo okay all right i thank the salty soul for the performance uh and i would like to inform participant that at this stage there will be a unapp 50 family photo delegations are invited to remain seated [Applause] oh [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] [Applause] oh [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] let's get together let's get together [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] let's get [Music] get together [Music] [Applause] thank you very much and now moving to the next item i would like to invite first his excellencies who have been with us on the podium uh to leave the podium so that we can move to the next session and i would still want to thank and express our sincere gratitude for your attendance for your time your consideration and participation in this special session thank you very much thank you [Applause] we wish to invite all of us to be outstanding as we pay for it for his excellency under borough kenyatta president of republic of kenya commander-in-chief as he takes his leave let's appreciate his excellence with our plows as he leaves the stage thank you so much sir thank you thank you heads of state and government thank you so much for joining us thank you thank you so much ladies and gentlemen colleagues ladies and gentlemen now it's the moment for the group picture i currently ask you to take a seat and look at your right at the gallery to the photographer can we take a seat for the group picture can we all look at the gallery to the photographer and wave one more thank you so much let's take a second picture so we can take the audience at the back also there's another photographer at the front we lost him ok thank you so much [Applause] ladies and gentlemen we're back again um the world is in transition right now and i feel like we're all on a train and the song we're gonna do next represents that we're all in the midnight train but i'm praying for a better dawn i'm praying for a better tomorrow and i'm praying for good good 2022 for the entire world regardless of what's going on and i hope you enjoy this song thank you [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] to see the promised land from afar then it's so beautiful and now they can touch the fire and you know it's not in vain instead it's dripping through the paint [Music] midnight one last [Music] [Music] [Music] thank you so beautiful [Music] [Music] [Applause] is [Music] [Music] [Applause] up let's go [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] to the left [Music] simple are you ready one two three to the right to the left now shake your voice there to the right to the left the shape yo oh yeah to the right to the left and shake shake shake oh yeah to the right to the left come on say to the right [Music] [Music] [Music] thank you thank you very much guys enjoy the rest of your community and make sure you get desire make sure you get desired bye you're going down what time is it i start even if the room is the meeting is resumed i love it i love this honorable ministers excellencies distinguished delegates we'll move to agenda item 4 i now invite the assembly to resume its consideration of agenda item 4 statements by representatives to view pre-recorded statements provided by some heads of states and governments i now introduce the pre-recorded statement of his excellency mr alexander von bon vombert bellan federal president of the republic of austria ladies and gentlemen dear friends i really would have loved to be in nairobi the green city in the sun with you right now unfortunately the pandemic situation in austria prevents me from coming to unep 50. 50 years ago in 1972 the stockholm conference for environment and development was the starting point and foundation of unit the mood at the time was optimistic there was belief that we could stop or at least slow down environmental degradation since then unep was instrumental for the development of international environmental law and for the initiation of many multilateral environmental agreements over years and decades environmental social and economic aspects were taken into account much has been achieved today we have the 2030 agenda for sustainable development as an action plan for people the planet and prosperity the vienna convention for the protection of the ozone layer and its montreal protocol have proven to be successful on the other hand the climate crisis biodiversity loss and plastic pollution are huge present day challenges the world has to act faster than ever before eunip is the environmental authority in the un system and contributes to tackling the triple planetary crisis of climate nature and pollution austria will continue to support unit at its headquarters in nairobi with regional activities and at the program office in vienna our environment needs a strong voice we need a strong un environmental program for the implementation of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development i hope to see you all very soon in nairobi or elsewhere but first let us celebrate happy birthday unep let there be many more successful years in environmental protection around the world [Applause] thank you to the federal president of the republic of austria for the statement i would i would like now to introduce the pre-recorded statement of his excellency mr ivan duke marquez president of the republic of colombia [Music] i am sending my greetings to mrs inga anderson executive director of unep to as we commemorate unep at 50 the leadership of this program has a long tradition in our country from our participation in the conference of the united nations environment program back in 1972 we defended the strengthening of government environmental governance and to take up the the challenge of sustainability however today more than ever in our government we have renewed our commitment to the climate crisis this is a decisive decade for environmental action and therefore in colombia we are committed to saving our forests to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and achieving new carbon neutrality by 2050 for that reason we are working in various fora we will be reaching the global 30 for 30 that was agreed to protect our marine areas and furthermore with the objective of continuing to protect our oceans we have signed up as well to the blue carbon coalition we decided to have a transition towards clean energies and by 25 times we have increased our renewable energy energies investment and sustainable mobility so that we have many electric cars on our roads now and this commitment promotes the ambitious and consistent approach that not only deals with the climate crisis but also a lot of biodiversity which is so important in order to achieve these goals we need to build synergies between the multilateral environmental agreements and to ensure that those countries which most need it receives the required financial resources to add to their national resources fighting against climate change is most important and this must be achieved jointly we don't have a planet b what we have to do is to act now to ensure a sustainable future thank you for your attention thank you to the republic of colombia for for this statement i would like now to introduce the pre-recorded statement of his serene highness prince albert ii sovereign prince of monaco executive director dear ingrid anderson excellencies ladies and gentlemen celebrating this 50th anniversary is the opportunity to hail progress made over the past half century thanks to unep it's also the opportunity to examine the state of our environment and the ways to best protect it in this regard i'd like to pay tribute to the unep executive directors past and presence starting with the late maurice strong going all the way up to you yourself dear inga anderson i also paid tribute to all the teams who supported them their sustained commitment has made unep an ideal forum for better global environment governance the protection of the ozone layer the phasing out of leaded fuel progress made under conventions on regional seas including the mediterranean to combat land-based and marine pollution are a few positive examples of often decisive action but these successes cannot conceal the concurrent degradation of ecosystems for this degradation humankind bears sole responsibility notwithstanding the fact that we know all too well that nature is integral to ensuring our food supply and maintaining the earth's balance in the face of the destruction of so much natural wells we must now learn to turn towards economic models based on the protection and recovery of this natural wealth rather than on their irresponsible exploitation we must strengthen the environmental dimension of sustainable development to achieve this goal we have no choice but to resort more to science to better inform our political decisions in this regard i would like to underscore the importance of the unesco decade of ocean science for sustainable development which began last year this initiative should give us the key to save ocean spaces which cover as we all know over 70 of the planet science has to inform our political choices there is still time to make these choices but time is of the essence there is still time to make the choice to save our biodiversity our climate our planet thank [Applause] thank you very much the principality of monaco for this message statement of her excellency mrs susana caputova president of the slovak republic mr president excellencies ladies and gentlemen i am pleased to address this forum on this simple education since its beginning unev has been the pioneer of green multilateralism a unique and universal platform to address the environmental challenges we face and we have already seen many of its great achievements a number of species were saved from extinction the ozone layer has started to slowly recover as we mark the unep golden jubilee let's ensure there are more successes in the future such as the need to eliminate the dangerous plastics and plastic waste from our seas and oceans slovakia was the first country in central europe to introduce a deposit return scheme for plastic bottles and cans we see that as an important step in the right direction ladies and gentlemen we need no more scientific proofs that our planet is facing an urgent climate emergency the later we act the more irreversible harm because we need a new vision and new global pact between people and a nature where the unep plays a prominent role especially when it comes to environmental education awareness raising support of circular economy or eco-innovations yet ultimately the major responsibility lies on individual countries governments and leaders slovakia has already taken the path to climate neutrality by 2050. we will reduce our emissions by 55 percent compared to the 1990 levels by the end of this decade in our post-pandemic recovery we are prioritizing the carbonization of our industry clean mobility and energy efficiency but it's not enough to act green at home we must do so globally each of our official development aid innovative initiatives takes the climate crisis into account in kenya alone last year slovakia has planted 1 million of trees to help capture the co2 i am proud that slovakia will continue supporting important work the unep is doing for our planet not just financially but also through expertise i am pleased that the slovak minister of environment has been nominated to the bureau of unisex excellencies ladies and gentlemen the main mission of the unit is to be the environmental conscience of the um and the world it is topical today as it was 50 years ago happy birthday and thank you [Applause] thank you to the slovak republic for the statement it is now my honor to invite his excellency mr mohammed mohber vice president of the islamic republic of iran to proceed to the lectern to give his statement your excellency you have the floor in the name of god the compassion of the merciful honorable ministers your excellencies ambassador executive director of the unep distinguished delegate delegates ladies and gentlemen at the outset i would like to appreciate the people and the government of the kenya for hosting this exceptional meeting on the commemoration of 15th anniversary of the establishment of united nations environment program at the united nations office in nairobi as the main and momentous united nations office in the global south and hope that unit could strongly pursue its mandates in the upcoming years 15 years have passed since the world's first important and official environmental event the stockholm human environment conference the creation of unep as the main coordinating body for environmental activities has come to play a major role in recognizing analyzing challenges related to natural and human environment development plans and agreements and promoting environmental knowledge and information and is rightly known as a documentation or anchorage of several multilateral environmental agreements ladies and gentlemen i'm proud to inform you that along with the global movement my government has also taken important steps at the time of at the time of establishing united nations environment program led degradation and drought as well as pollution and waste management have become critical from science globally and now shape the discourse with both the international and national levels of the future outcomes in 2012 identified the need to is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental donation of sustainable development within the united nations is an authoritative advocate for the global environment the government of the republic of namibia is fully committed to supporting the united nations environment program in this critical role and we look forward to continue working closely with you for the improved health and prosperity of our people and planet thank you very much [Applause] thank you to the republic of nabi namibia for this statement i would like now to introduce the pre-recorded statement of her excellency mrs magdalena anderson prime minister of sweden excellencies ladies and gentlemen 1972 was a truly remarkable here not only did the year conference on the human environment inspire global environmental cooperation leading up to many of the international agreements we have reached today but it also ushered in a new era for the global environmental movements 1972 also the birth of the united nations environment program and became the first and it remains the only human headquarters in the global south at the time when the world was still emerging the united nations began building multinationals more inclusive and equal and poor the insights and principles articulated in the 1972 declaration are still fundamental we remind ourselves that the planetary crisis poses severe challenges by cursive for prosperity for all nobody has an excuse for an action science has provided all the evidence we need to stop destroying ecosystems changing the times [Music] has never been more important and our work is far from complete and in the speech after 1972 importance but must be an integral part of the unfolding or the very process of development and sweden remains convinced that all of us have the right and obligation to build a sustainable future for ourselves and each other societies where livelihoods are not ravaged by climate change and pollution no longer poisons our children but our ecosystems and biodiversity can thrive we all need to take our fair share of responsibility and humankind has now reached across crossroads half a century has passed since unit was established we have also reached a halfway point to achieve the sustainable development goals and all nations of the world must now utilize every opportunity and we must do it together as my predecessor olof palmer pointed out when he welcomed the leaders of the world in 1972 in the field of human environment there is no individual future neither for human beings nor for nations our future is common we must shape it together and i have the honor of being able to carry on the legacy of 1972 together with president kenyatta kenya and together we invite you to continue our efforts at the stockholm plus 50 conference in stockholm in june this year we now continue the work that we started in 1972 but with more urgency and resolution than ever thank you thank you to sweden for uh for the statement i would like now to introduce the pre-recorded statement of his excellency mr prayu chan ocha prime minister of the kingdom of thailand foreign [Music] since club thank you thailand for this statement at this stage allow me to invite mrs chatube asyaka from the non-governmental organization's major group to deliver a five-minute statement on behalf of all major groups and stakeholders madam thank you president your excellencies colleagues ladies and gentlemen i am jatugabe asyaka the co-facilitator of the ngo major group speaking on behalf of the nine major groups and other stakeholders i will be speaking on the joint mgs statement on the unep we want my colleagues later we'll present to you the unep we want report the joint statement which was distributed to you last tuesday has 51 paragraphs and an annex covering uneps successes and failures in its first 50 years from the perspective of the mgs our vision of unep and unep looking forward including the unia we want and the collaborative participation of mgs that is major groups and stakeholders in this short time that we have i would like to share with you a few key messages from our joint statement in its first 50 years major the major groups and stakeholders the mgs have collaborated with unemp in many key areas and we recognize and appreciate unep's key strategic role as a fact finder advocate convener collaborator administrator communicator reinforcer and platform for environmental matters as the anchor institution of the united nations on the environment we believe that unep could achieve more in the future through education and public awareness stakeholder engagement evidence-based assessments and outlooks could achieve more by strengthening multilateral environmental law and governance by strengthening the science policy interface through capacity building on environmental policy implementation at the national level could do more by supporting the development of open source citizen science platforms and by developing policy guidance and global standards all in collaboration and cooperation with the mgs areas where unep can be strengthened include its role in environmental governance and access to justice its authority and autonomy within the un system its funding base including transparency on corporate funding and earmarking and greater capacity building at national and local levels indigenous peoples are crucial for the conservation of biodiversity and their knowledge and livelihoods should not be undermined yet we cannot put the burden of being the conservationist of biodiversity on them unep should address all aspects of environmental equity and justice including women the youth and persons who are disproportionately affected by the triple environmental crisis we call upon junior to do more to support the human right to a clean healthy and sustainable environment at the global and national levels we call on junior to take action to support environmental human rights the rights established by undrip the u.n declaration of the rights of indigenous persons and drop as well as principle 10 of the rio declaration on the rights of access to information public participation and access to justice in environmental matters junior should take a leading role as a principal authority in establishing un environmental governance and legal frameworks while respecting indigenous rights and autonomy we have also made a number of specific recommendations on unep and junior's engagement with mgs and the mgs themselves in line with paragraph 88 of the future we want we believe that uneps stakeholder engagement processes should evolve best practice approaches and new mechanisms so as to ensure equitable active and ongoing engagement with all relevant stakeholders there are many recommendations in this regard and we invite you to look deeper into our joint statement thank you for your attention [Applause] thank you very much miss azaka for your message for this meeting we shall hear the remaining speakers on the list this afternoon in this conference room the second plenary will begin at 3 pm with the consideration of agenda items 5 presentation of the report of the executive director on the science policy interface and agenda item number 6 presentation of the stakeholder report entitled the unapp we want i invite all delegations to join the flagship side event for the launch of the world environment situation room in conference room 1 and i've been told that the refreshments will be available and i would like to give the secretary at the floor for two announcements thank you madam president i would like to make an announcement regarding dsa daily subsistence allowance collection the secretary would like to announce that dsa for the funded delegates attending meetings of juneau and unapp at 50 from 28 to 4 march will be issued today in conference room 7 as follows for member states between 1 pm to 3 p.m for major groups and stakeholders between 5 pm to 7 pm the room is located on the fast floor please ensure to bring your passport ticket voting passes and covet 19 test results with receipts thank you i would also like to inform delegates of activities that the host government of kenya has organized on the margins of the special session and all delegates are invited to participate and attend these include side events held today and tomorrow as well as a reception today in the evening from 6 p.m a commemorative run organized to be held on friday for march in the morning from 6 a.m with kenyan elite runners at the karura forest finally an excursion to the nairobi national park has been organized for saturday 5 march from 6 am registration for these activities can be done at the ministry of foreign affairs exhibition at the big tent next to the dorm thank you madam president thank you very much uh so the first plenary meeting of the first special session of the environment assembly is adjourned thank you so much i realized that for both of us it's probably the first time nowhere is nowhere is it new to here i was in the general assembly in new york at health coaches so i used to do meetings on the team but this has been very very detected thank you so much i just realized me um yes

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Length: 191min 33sec (11493 seconds)

Published: Thu Mar 03 2022