The seventh session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) opened on Monday at the UN Complex in Nairobi.
The event brought together Environment Ministers, representatives from intergovernmental organisations, multilateral environmental agreements, UN system entities, civil society, youth groups, and private-sector actors from around the world.
The delegates have gathered to advance solutions for environmental protection and planetary resilience through strengthened multilateral cooperation.
UNEA-7 has registered more than 6,000 participants from over 180 countries, including 79 Ministers and 35 Vice-Ministers.
The Assembly is being held under the theme “Advancing sustainable solutions for a resilient planet” and runs from December 8 to 12.
Over the course of the week, delegates will negotiate 15 draft resolutions addressing issues such as protecting the world’s glaciers, managing massive seaweed blooms, and reducing the environmental footprint of artificial intelligence.
Although the resolutions adopted by the Assembly are not legally binding, they play a vital role in helping countries find common ground.
Historically, UNEA outcomes have guided or inspired landmark international environmental agreements, reinforcing the Assembly’s central role in global environmental governance.
Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, Deborah Barasa, said a resilient planet requires more than safeguarding ecosystems—it demands prudent use of resources, inclusive social and economic systems, and innovation that prevents environmental harm before it occurs.
She emphasised Kenya’s readiness to collaborate with governments, the private sector, civil society, academia, and local communities, noting that partnership is now indispensable to solving global environmental challenges.
“As we gather in the world’s environmental home, a place where nature’s gifts and vulnerabilities are deeply felt, we offer not just our challenges but also our solutions,” the CS said.
UNEA-7 President and Head of the Environment Authority of the Sultanate of Oman, Abdullah Bin Ali Al-Amri, said the Assembly reaffirms a shared global responsibility to translate commitments into real impacts for people, ecosystems, and planetary stability.
He noted that communities worldwide continue to face interconnected crises—from climate change to biodiversity loss and pollution—that strain economies, social cohesion, and trust in collective action.
“Our success this week depends not only on the outcomes we adopt but also on how we reach them—through trust, transparency, compromise, and inclusiveness,” he said.
UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen urged delegates to be more ambitious than ever, warning that environmental challenges are accelerating faster than the global response.
She cited scientific assessments showing that average global temperatures are likely to exceed the 1.5°C threshold within the next decade, with escalating consequences for every small additional increase in temperature.
She also highlighted the rapid degradation of ecosystems, intensified dust storms, and persistent pollution affecting air, water, and land.
“This Assembly must dig deep, because the world is in turbulent geopolitical waters, which adds strain to multilateral processes.
We all want the same thing: a stable climate, a safe and clean environment, and a pollution-free future,” she said.
UNEA-7 was preceded by several major side events, including the Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum, a Cities and Regions Summit, and the Youth Environment Assembly.
The youth forum brought together more than 1,000 young delegates who adopted the Global Youth Declaration outlining their environmental priorities to be presented to the Assembly.
In addition to debating the draft resolutions, UNEA-7 will host three high-level dialogues focusing on the role of environmental sustainability in industry, global finance, and human health.
Heads of state and government, including President William Ruto, are expected to address the Assembly during the high-level segment on the penultimate day.
UNEP will also launch the seventh edition of the Global Environment Outlook (GEO-7) on December 9 and name five global climate trailblazers as the 2025 Champions of the Earth.
The UN Environment Assembly, the world’s highest decision-making body on environmental matters, comprises all 193 UN Member States and meets biennially to set global environmental priorities.
The resolutions adopted guide the work of UNEP and shape international environmental policy.
By Anita Omwenga
