Call for Strong Multilateralism at 7th Session of UN Environment Assembly

COP28 Conference held in UAE. Credit - Kiara Worth - UN Climate Change

New Delhi, April 18 (Radhika Chatterjee): Developing countries, led by the Group of 77 and China, called for a strong commitment to multilateralism at the first intergovernmental consultations on the zero draft of the ministerial declaration of the 7th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) held on April 15, 2025. Organised in hybrid mode, the meeting was held both in Nairobi, Kenya and online and was chaired by Nasra Saleem Al-Hashmi, the Ambassador of Oman in Nairobi.

[UNEA is the “world’s highest level decision-making body for matters related to the environment and has a universal membership of all 193 member states.” UNEA-7 is scheduled to take place from Dec. 8-12th, 2025 in Nairobi.]

During the consultations on the ministerial declaration which is entitled “Advancing sustainable solutions for a resilient planet”, developing countries, led by Egypt for the G77 and China, expressed strong commitment to multilateralism and stressed the need for reaffirming principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR), Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They also emphasized the need for incorporating stronger language on means of implementation support in the ministerial declaration, and highlighted developed country obligations in providing finance, technology and capacity building to developing countries. They also asked for the declaration to reflect commitments made by member states in the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Paris Agreement (PA).

Among developed countries, all but the United States (US) expressed commitment to multilateralism. The US said it could not support affirmation of the PA, the Rio Principles, SDGs and the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. It said any language on “so-called means of implementation” was “unacceptable”. It preferred a President’s summary rather than a ministerial declaration, as it said it could not agree to proposals being made for inclusion in the declaration.

The consultation began with opening remarks made by UNEA-7’s President, Abdullah Bin Ali Al-Amri, Chair of the Environment Authority of Oman. Calling the zero draft “concise and action oriented”, he said as UNEA-7 President, he was “committed to transparent, inclusive and member states-led process” in the development of the ministerial declaration. He expressed confidence that together member states “will draft a declaration that reflects the urgency of our time and the unity of our efforts.”

Highlights of interventions

Egypt for the G77 and China underlined the importance of building on previous multilateral agreements as reflected in previous ministerial declarations and reaffirmed its commitment to all principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and to the principle of CBDR. It said the declaration should reflect member states’ commitments to the PA and to the UNFCCC, and its guiding principles, particularly CBDR and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC). It recalled poverty eradication in all its forms and dimensions as the “greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development.”  It also asked for the declaration to “emphasize the PA’s call for developed countries to take the lead in practical and sustainable patterns of production and consumption in addressing the adverse effects of climate change. This includes facilitating enhanced action on technological development and transfer in order to support implementation, in pursuit of our collective long-term vision, and in order to improve resilience to climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as stipulated in Article 10 of the PA.”

It emphasized that the UNEA ministerial declaration “carries the political responsibility of acknowledging the need of developing countries to have access to adequate, predictable and sufficient means of implementation, the mobilization of which should be primarily led by developed countries, while considering their historical responsibilities, the difference in capabilities, and the lack of institutional capacities (in developing countries). These include scaling up of financial support, transfer and development of technology, capacity building, partnerships, and the sharing of best practices, without which environmental commitments risk becoming aspirational rather than actionable.”

The G77 also asked for the declaration to reaffirm steadfast commitment to addressing pressing environmental challenges and to increase the “effectiveness of environmental assistance and recovery in areas affected by armed conflicts in accordance with UNEA resolution 6/12.” It reiterated its “strong commitment to upholding multilateralism” and stressed “the importance of inclusive consultations to which it is committed to support and engage constructively in keeping with the Nairobi spirit.”

Mozambique, for the African Group stressed the “importance of having a document that is balanced both in language and substance, is consensual and inclusive of the views, priorities and needs of all member states while being concise and avoiding controversial elements.” It expressed reservation “on the use of binding and strong language in the circulated zero draft declaration” adding that this adds further burdens on developing countries without aligning with the spirit and visions of the international cooperation frameworks and multilateral environmental agreements. It asked for the ministerial declaration to build on previous declarations and make a clear reference to the principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and its SDGs, and the principles of member states’ sovereignty, equity, and CBDR-RC.  It stressed that “desertification and drought have become drivers of climate change rather than its negative consequences. The adverse effects of desertification and drought on people’s livelihood across the world and, in particular, on water and food security in Africa justify that all needed efforts be mobilized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and all relevant stakeholders to address them as a matter of priority.” It asked for the interconnectedness between desertification and biodiversity loss to be better addressed in an “integrated approach”.

With reference to mitigation targets in respect of climate change in the declaration, it highlighted that the PA “requests the developed countries to provide full support to developing countries on financial, technological and capacity building to mitigate their climate change challenges. This support is crucial for developing nations as they strive to meet their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change. We stress on the declaration to include strong language on means of implementation for developing countries in this regard in respect of different national and regional circumstances and capabilities.” It also asked for a stronger reflection on adaptation in the declaration.

China called for enhancing the efficiency of negotiations and to avoid the influence of political factors in UNEA and emphasized the need for focusing on technical issues in the environmental field. Highlighting the importance of using agreed language in the declaration, it said that would help in reducing divergences. It called for a reaffirmation of the principles of the Rio Declaration, in particular the principle of CBDR. It called on everyone to make joint efforts to uphold multilateralism and reach a consensus-aligned document.

Cuba said, it would like to “reaffirm all the principles of the Rio Declaration, especially the principles of CBDR-RC and equity, as well as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs.”  It said it would like to have a placeholder in how the 7th  report of the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-7) is acknowledged in the declaration, as the report would be finalized right before UNEA-7, adding that “member states should have the time to read and digest the report before deciding on whether the report should be welcomed or taken note of.” It stressed that for tackling pollution, just a science based approach would be insufficient and that it “must be an evidence-based approach instead.” On the mitigation target of committing to 42% emission reductions by 2030 mentioned in the declaration, Cuba said this ignores historical responsibilities and is not based on equity and therefore “cannot be made a global commitment,”  adding that “this kind of imposition of a global target without considering differentiation between developed and developing countries, which is a key aspect of UNFCCC and its PA, cannot be accepted.”  It also stressed the need for highlighting the obligations of developed countries in providing financial support to developing countries.

Saudi Arabia reaffirmed “the importance of recognizing the key principles, particularly the principle of CBDR-RC.” It added that it cannot accept any targets or findings from the UNEP Emissions Gap report as it does “not consider the unique circumstances of developing countries or adhere to existing agreement or decision made by parties under UNFCCC and its PA.” It also said that both the UNFCCC and its PA are “explicitly grounded in nationally determined action” and do not impose any “top-down targets or approaches.” It said imposing “fixed numerical targets” or mandating specific policy pathways contradicts the principles of CBDR-RC and the need for taking into account national circumstances. UNEA, it said, “must be fully aligned with the inclusive and flexible nature of the climate regime, respecting the diversity of national approaches and preserving the integrity and legitimacy of the national process.” On aspects relating to just transition and sustainable development, it said the declaration must call for transitions that are just and equitable and nationally determined” in nature. The emphasis therefore should be on recognizing the reality of multiple pathways towards just transition and “not a single just transition approach”. This it said builds on the idea that “just transitions are not not just about the energy transition, but more about fairness in the global environmental action policies.” In the context of “innovation and technology” it also advocated for “the integration of technologies such as carbon capture, utilization and storage, direct air capture and green hydrogen into global climate strategies.” It asked for recognizing circular carbon economy as a “holistic approach to emission reduction and removal”. It also emphasized on the importance of addressing land degradation and drought in the ministerial declaration.

Egypt in its national capacity, expressed concerns about “obligating member states to commit to cut 42% of emissions by 2030.” It believed that “this contradicts with the principle of CBDR, as well as the commitments pledged by member states through their NDCs,” adding that “this also goes beyond the stipulation in paragraph 28 of the first global stock-take (GST) adopted at the UNFCCC COP28, which calls on parties to contribute to mitigation global efforts in a nationally determined manner taking into account the PA and the different national circumstances, pathways and approaches.”

In this context, it reiterated “the need of developing countries to have access to adequate and predictable means of implementation to meet the ambitious environmental targets, the mobilization of which should be primarily led by the developed countries considering their historical responsibilities and different capabilities and institutional capacities. This includes scaling up of financial support, transfer and development of technology, capacity building, partnerships and the sharing of best practices.” It also asked for referencing the outcomes of conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16). In particular, it mentioned “the establishment and operationalization of the Cali Fund to share the benefits from uses of digital sequence information on genetic resources more fairly and equitably.”  Egypt also highlighted “the interlinkages between trade and critical energy transition minerals and climate action” and in ensuring “the accessibility of all markets to the minerals-based technologies in order to achieve just energy transition to all countries.”

Iran asked for upholding the principles of Rio Declaration, in particular CBDR and in the fulfillment of the SDGs. It also “affirmed the importance of reflecting the concerns of all developing countries…including provision of financial and technological assistance, capacity building and awareness raising on environmental challenges and issues, fulfillment of environmental commitments, as well as facilitation of non-discriminatory access to global facilities and technologies for all”. It indicated the necessity “of reflecting cooperation among all members on promoting a supportive and open international economic system aimed at achieving sustainable economic growth and development in all countries and thus enabling them to address the problems of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.” It also said that “measures taken to combat these challenges, including unilateral ones, should not constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or a disguised restriction on international trade,” and  stressed the need for recognizing that accelerated sand and dust storms inflict “substantial socio-economic and environmental damage, particularly in vulnerable, arid and semi-arid regime, underscoring the importance of globally coordinated action in line with UNEA Resolution 6/7”. It also called for “ecosystem protection by strengthening proper solutions and approaches, ensuring sustainable water management, minimizing deforestation and forest degradation and safeguarding, conserving and restoring degraded land and soil and wetland ecosystems.”

Algeria said the ministerial declaration must respect national sovereignty over natural resources and uphold the UNFCCC and its PA, particularly the principle of equity and CBDR-RC. It also asked for inclusion of “strong context-specific means of implementation and support just transition for developing countries. The language should reflect different national capacities and avoid adding burdens without adequate support.” Adding further, it said that all provisions of the PA must be treated equally and the declaration “should mobilize financial and technical support for developing countries to implement the COP29 conclusions and other key frameworks.” It also asked for a science based, inclusive, consensus driven approach and incorporation of findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), and the UNFCCC. Finally it asked for a strong message should also be included to address desertification, drought and land degradation to “promote integrated response, policy coherence and synergy”.

Indonesia said the ministerial declaration can “serve as an enabler, opening further collaboration among member states, including on South-South cooperation, research and innovation, transfer of technology, as well as capacity building.” Stressing the importance of water, it said water is “a cross-cutting element which is at the heart of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. These challenges have direct impact on freshwater bodies which are critical for the lives, livelihood and health of people, for the economies” and for the future of the planet. It also stressed on the need to reflect CBDR-RC and means of implementation in the declaration.

State of Palestine called for the reflection of the principle of CBDR, equity, justice, right to a clean, healthy and safe environment, human rights, including the right to development. It also emphasized “on the need to enable countries that suffer from foreign occupation and armed conflicts to receive environmental assistance” and “to use their natural resources sustainably”. It emphasized “the devastating effects of international armed conflict on the environment, climate, the spread of poverty, famine and instability.” It also stressed on the “need to highlight the One Health approach due to its importance to human and animal health. This approach aims to achieve sustainable balance and improve the health of humans, animals, plants and ecosystems.”

The US expressed a preference for a President’s summary over a ministerial declaration as it felt “it will be difficult to achieve consensus on many elements that we anticipate member states are proposing for inclusion.” Adding further it said, “if a President’s summary is not pursued, a ministerial declaration should be concise and clearly focused on UNEP’s mandate. It also said that “We cannot support language affirming the PA, the Rio Principles, the SDGs, or the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. At this time, the US must reserve on any language related to climate change and the impacts of climate change. Any explicit or conceptual mention of CBDR is unacceptable. Suggestions that (refer to) so-called means of implementation, like financial or technical assistance supported by donor countries, or that obligations undertaken by countries are contingent upon foreign assistance, are unacceptable.”

The EU said the declaration “should emphasize the importance of environmental multilateralism in the times where we face global turmoil and geopolitical divisions because this is the only way leading to solving the planetary environmental emergencies.” It said the declaration could be strengthened if the commitments contained in it “are also accompanied by clear pathways for national level implementation” because the “declaration should translate into effective and measurable national actions.” It expressed its appreciation for the reference to advancing circular economy principles and it could be further strengthened by being “recognized as a driver for environmental, social and economic resilience” in line with UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution 79/202. It also said that there is a need to “emphasize the role of science and knowledge in all dimensions of sustainability, promoting cross-sectoral, knowledge-based actions including through effective dialogue between stakeholders.” Further, it asked for the declaration to reflect the “development of innovative solutions, reliable data in sectors as energy, circular bio-economy and safe use of biotechnology”. It also asked for the declaration to reflect an emphasis on the UN Secretary General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals and its principles in light of the “crucial importance of critical minerals to energy security and just energy transition.” Finally, it stressed on the need for sustainable water resource management and taking into consideration outcomes of the UN Ocean Conference in the declaration.

The UK asked for including the framing “of the triple planetary crisis, climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution” in the declaration because it “better reflects the severity of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution as acknowledged by the international community.” Welcoming the urgency captured on mitigation targets, it said the message could be further strengthened “by including a reference to the temperature goal of the PA and the requirement of member states to submit their 2035 NDCs in order to underline our collective commitment to managing temperature rises.” It asked for including a reference to the new collective quantified goal on finance as agreed at COP29 in the context of enhanced climate finance from all sources. It also asked for ensuring “consistency and balance throughout the declaration when referencing the goals and commitments agreed under the Rio Conventions at their most recent COPs.” On the issue of health, it said it would like to include a reference to One Health considering the role that UNEP is playing. It also asked to reflect “continued commitment to the implementation of the anti-microbial resistance political declaration as agreed at UNGA 79” and a placeholder “on the launch of the independent panel for evidence for action against antimicrobial resistance”. It asked for the inclusion of a placeholder acknowledging the pandemic accord that is due to be agreed at the end of 2025, and also asked for a placeholder for the outcomes of the UN Ocean Conference and inclusion of more references to ocean. Regarding technology transfer and knowledge sharing, it expressed a preference for using agreed language which talks “voluntary technology transfer and knowledge sharing when mutually agreed terms on mobilizing financial resources from all sources.”

Norway said the ministerial declaration should focus on the gaps, including “identifying potential synergies that are not addressed elsewhere.” It said “promoting environmental dimensions of sustainable development goals should be a key focus of the ministerial declaration. The environment underlies each of the SDGs. Current unsustainable production and consumption patterns are key drivers of the triple planetary crisis. Solutions for sustainable production and consumption, such as circular approaches to resource efficiency, are a good example of the sort of action that is appropriate for the declaration to highlight.”

Switzerland said “efforts should remain firmly anchored in the global environmental agenda, in continuity with previous declarations.” It fully aligned with UNEA’s distinct mandate, role, and responsibilities.” Highlighting the “political importance of biodiversity loss”, it said, the issue “is central not only to environmental sustainability, but also to human well-being” and that it should be reflected in the ministerial declaration. It further added, “biodiversity is foundational to ecological stability, and it is indispensable for achieving the broader objectives of sustainable development” and asked for biodiversity to be reflected more prominently in the declaration. While it welcomed the call to effectively implement SDGs, it said the focus should be “more on partnerships and common efforts rather than resources and technology.”

Japan proposed the use of language from the GST outcome of UNFCCC’s COP28 in the context of mitigation and the emphasized the “need for urgent action and support to keep the 1.5 degree Celsius goal within reach and to address the climate crisis in this critical decade.” It said the discussion on climate finance should happen under the PA. Regarding technology and knowledge transfer, it said both must be on voluntary and mutually agreed terms. – Third World Network