On 27 January, approximately 50 participants from Geneva’s missions gathered in the Palais des Nations for a briefing on the third United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-3) taking place in December this year in Nairobi, UN Environment’s headquarters.

The assembly is the world’s highest-level decision-making body on the environment, and provides UN Environment with the mandate to support governments in taking green actions.

After the success of last year’s edition, where thousands of delegates agreed on 25 sustainable resolutions and actions, this year UN Environment is again expecting concrete results when high-level delegates meet again in Nairobi.

The January briefing was co-convened by H. E. Elayne Whyte Gómez, Ambassador of Costa Rica; and John Matuszak, the Vice-President of the Bureau of the Environment Assembly.

Countries welcomed the opportunity of such network and exchanges were made about the scope of the pollution theme - water appeared to be of high priority for several delegates. Like some other participants, Mr Matuszak recognised that pollution is broad and viewed it as a scope for change; “Pollution is a very big topic, this dialogue is an opportunity”. Milorad Scepanovic, Permanent Representative of Montenegro, meanwhile emphasized the connection between pollution and health.

During the briefing, Ambassador Whyte also stressed the importance of the Assembly, Geneva’s strengths as a host for country missions and international organisations, and her desire to keep the cities’ community informed and engaged.

According to Jan Dusik, Head of UN Environment Europe, “the briefing was a large success. We will continue to engage the missions and organisations in Geneva to ensure that well-grounded ideas from the Geneva community are translated into actions at the third global Environment Assembly”.

For more details please contact vanessa.burrows@unep.org