Your Excellency, Sultan Hajiyev, Chair of the Committee of Permanent Representatives,
Ambassadors and colleagues. Welcome to the Twelfth Annual Subcommittee meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR).
Let me begin by solemnly acknowledging the unexpected losses our environmental community has endured in recent weeks.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to the people of Ghana following the tragic passing of Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation. Minister Mohammed was scheduled to travel and join us in Geneva for the INC-5.2 negotiations on plastic pollution. I had the privilege of engaging with him on this very issue at the UN Ocean Conference in June, where his passion and commitment were unmistakable.
We also mourn High Commissioner Mninwa Johannes Mahlangu of South Africa, who passed away last week. Many of you in this room have seen first-hand his distinguished service and dedication to multilateral cooperation and work here in Nairobi.
On behalf of UNEP, we offer our deepest sympathies to their families, colleagues and nations. They leave behind legacies that will continue to inspire our shared mission for a healthier planet.
Excellencies,
It has been quite a year since this subcommittee last met. A year of change and upheaval, in which significant challenges to multilateralism have emerged. The UN system and UNEP are adapting to this new reality, and I will get to that. First let us take a moment to remember that, even in uncertain times, multilateralism has still delivered many important results since September 2024.
We saw the Pact for the Future, which emphasized the environment as the bedrock of prosperity. And at the One Health Summit on the sidelines of the 79th UN General Assembly last year, we saw a commitment to cut 10 per cent off the estimated 4.95 million deaths associated with bacterial antimicrobial resistance each year.
On the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, we saw a resource mobilization strategy agreed and the creation of the Cali Fund to help ensure the equitable sharing of benefits from the commercial use of biodiversitys genetic sequencing information. We also saw a milestone decision to recognize Indigenous Peoples, people of African descent and their communities as rights-holders in biodiversity conservation.
On climate, we saw countries agree standards for a centralized carbon market under the UN and a New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance, which aims to triple finance to developing countries to US$300 billion annually by 2035.
And just this past June, in Punta del Este, we saw Member States agree to establish the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution, thus completing the trifecta of a panel for climate, a panel for biodiversity and ecosystem services and a panel for pollution.
And of course, at the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions COPs in April, we saw new steps on managing hazardous chemicals and waste. We saw new commitments to healthy marine and coastal environments at the UN Ocean Conference, including 19 additional ratifications of the BBNJ agreement, bringing entry into force ever closer.
All these decisions that you took represent forward movement in environmental stewardship and governance. And speaking of governance, let us not forget that this Subcommittee has grown, with four new Member States accredited, bringing us up to 155 accredited members.
That this much was achieved in the choppy waters of geopolitical complexities, economic challenges and multilateral strains demonstrates multilateralisms buoyancy and resilience. Of course, the international community now needs to figure out how to deliver on many of these promises amid shifting financial priorities. But these significant achievements stand and cannot be overlooked.
And, yes, there have also been disappointing moments. Last month, talks on the instrument to end plastic pollution adjourned with countries agreeing to reconvene at a later date. However, after ten hard-fought days, progress was made at INC-5.2. Yes, nations ultimately could not find common ground in the time available to secure a treaty text, but we did see convergence around growing areas of a text. I, as required by the 5/14 resolution, will report back to the seventh session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) on progress so far.
Despite the deep complexities, it is clear the world wants an end to plastic pollution. The environmental, economic and health impacts of plastic pollution are only becoming clearer, which is of course why UNEPs work to beat plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, will not stop. We will use the upcoming UN General Assembly (UNGA) as a moment to continue to listen and discuss next steps with countries and partners, and we will seek to work with Member States to chart a path forward that will lay the groundwork, so that the agreement can be gavelled to secure a future free of plastic pollution. In parallel, of course, UNEPs programme of support to Member States in their work to combat plastic pollution continues unabated.
I strongly encourage Member States to engage in informal conversations not just with the groups you already agree with, but with those that you do not. Only through such dlogue can we truly understand where the red lines lie, and where potential negotiating compromises may be found.
Excellencies,
As you know, UNEP and the wider UN are also looking at new and better ways to achieve results amid financial constraints. UN80 continues apace, aiming to eliminate inefficiency and duplication, all to ensure delivery of the 2030 Agenda. The Secretary-General will be issuing his report ahead of UNGA, which will provide Member States the opportunity to discuss proposed reforms and a pathway forward.
You will recall that the UN80 initiative is composed of three pillars. The first pillar addresses improvements in efficiency and operations which lie inside the Secretary-Generals direct scope of decision-making.
The second pillar was the mandate review. Here the focus was on how the UN implements mandates that are given to the organization by Member States. With longer and more complex resolutions, and an expanding number of meetings and negotiations with fewer resources, it is clear that something will need to change. UNGA will offer an important opportunity for Member States to discuss this issue. In this context, I would like to encourage Member States to also reflect on this matter within the UNEP space; both in so far as UNEA resolutions are concerned, but also as to the usefulness and administrative cost of the recently introduced CPR recommendations.
As work on this second pillar progresses, the Secretary-General has made it clear that we in the UN must not lose sight of the people we serve: we need real results in the real world. So, it is suggested that Member States might wish to question the value of requested UN reports that do not move something forward in the service of people, planet and poverty reduction.
The last pillar is structural and programmatic realignment. Here, too, UNEP has contributed, noting that structural changes will, ultimately, be for the consideration of Member States. Member States will have an opportunity to reflect on the Secretary-Generals proposals at UNGA upon the release of the Secretary-Generals report.
On our side, UNEP has always sought to be cost-efficient and demand-responsive, well before the current financial situation. You are aware that UNEP initiated a Functional Review ahead of UN80 to identify cost reductions and to create a more agile, responsive and forward-looking organization.
In parallel, UNEP is moving forward with merging the Early Warning and Assessment Division with the Office of the Chief Scientist to create the Office of Science, as mentioned in previous CPR meetings. The goal is to ensure the best use of staff and resources to deliver a stronger science function as we enter a new era that calls for more agile and modern tools. To ensure business continuity during the transition period, a temporary D2 Chief Scientist position is under recruitment. In the coming weeks, we will proceed with the regular D2 Chief Scientist recruitment, noting that this is a Regular Budget position.
As part of the ongoing functional review, we have also had to take some difficult decisions regarding posts. The functional review focused on mission and mandate; on deliverables and priorities; and on realigning institutional structures to ensure that the programme can be delivered in a realigned structure. You will hear more detail on the budget and structural situation this week.
With reduced Environment Fund contributions from contributing countries, the UNEP Budget Steering Committee, chaired by the Deputy Executive Director, which led on the initial phases of the review, projected a year-end deficit of US$15.7 million. This can be reduced by US$11 million through a series of prudency measures stopping expenditure, freezing posts, increasing efficiency and so on. The remaining deficit, however, can only be covered by reducing staffing. To balance the books and meet payroll, there is a need to cut approximately 130 Environment Fund positions and 17 extrabudgetary posts, as well as the 23 Regular Budget posts that we are required to reduce per the instructions of the UN Secretariat Controller.
This is, of course, hard for everyone. We have already launched a voluntary separation exercise as a first step. Voluntary separations are of course easier and less traumatic than downsizing. For us to ensure duty of care for our staff, while ensuring business continuity and programme delivery, we are making every effort to minimize disruptions by concluding the exercise by the end of this year.
Excellencies,
Even in these choppy waters, with a reduced crew and trimmed sails, UNEP will go on. We remain confident, strong and empowered by the trust that Member States and partners have in our ability to deliver.
This week, you will see from the 2024 Programme Performance Report that UNEP delivers. From Kenya to Mexico to Niue, UNEP built resilience, reduced vulnerability, restored ecosystems and tackled pollution and waste. UNEP remains a great investment, a trusted partner and an agile and responsive organization committed to operational excellence.
As the Annual Sub-Committee reviews the report in the coming days, I look forward to your feedback and guidance, particularly on points to be integrated into the next Medium-Term Strategy (MTS), which you will also review at this meeting. The UNEP team stands ready to support you during this week. Let me also take the opportunity to welcome Juan Carlos Vaquez, who has joined the Governance Affairs Office as the new Deputy Director and the Deputy Secretary of Governing Bodies.
In these changing times, the new MTS reaffirms and underscores UNEPs commitment to a healthy, prosperous and resilient people and planet. We have listened to you closely: more than 650 recommendations were received from over 40 consultations held to date on the MTS. Thank you for engagement, which we have worked to reflect in a balanced and coherent manner, focusing on UNEPs impact and delivery as we go forward. I look forward to further discussion and to hearing from the regional fora of ministers of the environment and environment authorities on how they can support the MTS 2026-29 and global environmental outcomes.
You will also look at UNEPs budget. While as mentioned the budget has been affected by the global landscape, let me remind you that we achieved the highest contributions ever to the Environment Fund in both 2023 and 2024. The Environment Fund reached over USD 90 million for 2024, with the highest number of contributors. I thank every one of those contributors, and those that have contributed so far in 2025. You have shown trust in UNEP. I hope you will continue to show this trust and that the new highs of contributions from the past two years can serve as a baseline for the future.
You will also hear about preparations for UNEA-7, which will be a crucial moment to press forward, full steam ahead, on global environmental action. On that note, please let me issue an appeal for sufficient funding.
The total preliminary estimated budget for UNEA-7 is US$4.58 million, of which 40 per cent is dedicated to travel for developing countries and major group participants. My thanks to the delegations of Australia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Oman, Sweden, the Philippines and the European Commission, as well as the European Investment Bank, for their contributions in particular for supporting the participation of developing countries and stakeholders.
However, the current funding gap sits at US$1.2 million dollars, which is 26 per cent of the overall budget and includes the cost of an additional team of interpreters to offset the Regular Budget cuts. If this gap cannot be closed, UNEA-7 will have to be scaled back in one way or another.
Excellencies,
There is much to reflect on not only in the present moment, but in the months and years that lie ahead. The path you walk now will shape not just the future of UNEP, but the very trajectory of environmental action itself. And with it, the future of our economies, our jobs, our health, our security and our peace. For each of these is inextricably linked to the well-being of the planet we call home.
The stability of our environment is the foundation upon which all else is built. Without it, none of our aspirations none of our hopes for a brighter, more equitable world can truly take root.
You have the privilege to be a key builder of this future. A builder of the environment that will sustain us all. I ask you to rise to this responsibility. To wield this power with wisdom, courage, and vision. Let the choices you make today be the cornerstone of tomorrows legacy.
