The UNEA-7 Bureau has been elected for a two-year term, commencing at the conclusion of the sixth session of UNEA on March 1, 2024. It consists of ten members, including one President, eight Vice Presidents, and one Rapporteur, with two representatives from each of the five United Nations regions.
Among the Vice Presidents, Ms. Nino Tandilashvili, Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, has been elected to represent Eastern European States UN Region.
The United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) is the world’s highest-level decision-making body for matters related to the environment. It sets priorities for global environmental policies and international environmental law. Understanding these challenges and preserving and rehabilitating our environment is at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
In 2012, at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, world leaders adopted an outcome document entitled “The Future We Want”. Subparagraph 88 (a) provided for universal membership in the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), as well as other measures to strengthen its governance as well as its responsive and accountability to Member States. Subsequently, the 54-member Governing Council was renamed the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), with all 193 Member States as its members.
The UNEP Governing Council, in its decision 27/2 , decided that the Environment Assembly would set the global environmental agenda; provide overarching policy guidance and define policy responses to address emerging environmental challenges; undertake policy review, dialogue and the exchange of experiences; set the strategic guidance on the future direction of UNEP; and foster partnerships for achieving environmental goals and resource mobilization.
During the final meeting of a regular session, the Environment Assembly elects a president, eight vice‑presidents and a rapporteur from among its members (rule 18 of the rules of procedure). These officers constitute the Bureau of the Environment Assembly and assist the President with the general conduct of the Assembly’s business. In electing its officers, the Environment Assembly ensures that each of the five regional groups of States Members of the United Nations is represented by two members of the Bureau. The Bureau is usually elected by acclamation. Bureau members are elected in their personal capacity and cannot delegate this role to anyone else.
For further information on the UNEA-7 Bureau, please refer to the UNEP websites:
https://www.unep.org/environmentassembly/about-united-nations-environment-assembly
https://www.unep.org/environmentassembly/unea7/presidency-and-bureau
Photo Credits: Featured Image by UN Environment | www.unep.org
