- UNEP MGCY
Youth Participation @ Annual Sub-Committee + Updates on UNEA Ministerial Declaration & Resolutions
Long Email on Annual Sub-Committee participation, and update on UNEA Ministerial Declaration & Resolutions from the focal points
Please watch out for specific follow-ups from the policy working group members for specific items as well in detail!
Dear Members of the Children and Youth Major Group,
We hope you are well! This week is characterised by the Annual Subcommittee Meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives of UNEA (also called the “ASC”), taking place from the 25th - 29th October 2021. The ASC is one of the most important negotiations in preparation for the resumed session of the fifth UN Environment Assembly(UNEA 5.2) that will take place in Feb/March 2022, next to the Open-Ended Committee of Permanent Representatives (or OECPR) (in Feb 2022). During this week, we have daily negotiations with the most important topics being:
UNEA, including UNEA Resolutions and Ministerial Declaration (across the various thematic aspects explained below)
UNEP@50 and UNEA Special Session
Stockholm+50
The Policy Coordination Group (PCG) of the youth constituency has been working extensively in preparing inputs and interventions for the session days, and we would like to share with you some updates and documents for consultation. As we are ‘in session’, as per the processes and procedures of the Children and Youth Major Group, the decision making guidelines for in-session events would apply, including time-frames for upto 12-24 hours for making inputs in the intervention documents. We will do our best to ensure maximum time possible for inputs on the documents.
What is PCG?
PCG essentially is a cross-cutting policy team that is open to the members of all thematic working groups and regions to work on collective topics. The PCG has regular meetings, and meets more frequently while the negotiations are going on. You don’t have to be an expert to join - all young people with diverse experiences, including those that are new to the international processes are welcome to participate.
Want to join the PCG?
Firstly, if you are not a member of the PCG yet, but interested to get engaged, and be a part of the ongoing opportunities, signing up does not take more than a few minutes and you can sign up via the following link.
So please sign-up for the PCG on through the quick form here, and we will then add you to relevant communication channels including the Google Group as well as the Whatsapp Group.
Daily-PCG meetings
We are meeting in the PCG every day at the same time before and after the negotiations from 11 am - 12 noon (on 26th and 28th of October) and 6 - 7.30pm Nairobi time (UTC+3) (on 26th and 27th of October). Furthermore, specific teams drafting interventions are encouraged to meet as they see fit to work on their sections further. The meetings are generally posted through the PCG whatsapp group and email.
Intervention Schedule & Opportunity to Contribute to interventions!! Interventions refer to spoken verbal inputs made during the negotiations on different agenda items. Major Groups and Stakeholders have spaces to intervene during the negotiation sessions, including on sub-agenda items as well. This is really an inclusive modality and we highly encourage you to engage. In case there is a youth speaker (after being determined upon by PCG) that does not have accreditation, we are working with accredited organisations and the secretariat to arrange an accreditation letter and access for them as well. Please join us!
Please find the table below with details of the interventions being drafted and worked upon. All of them are accessible in the shared Youth @ ASC google document here!! Additionally, the drive folder for the ASC is here (the documents and folder are accessible to those in the mailing list of the Children and Youth Major Group, please sign-up here in case you want to join).
Snapshot of overview of interventions, more details on the Youth@ASC document here
All background and supporting documents from the secretariat and members are available on the meeting portal link: https://www.unep.org/events/annual-subcommittee-cpr/8th-annual-subcommittee-meeting-committee-permanent-representatives
All interventions are accessible for inputs / comments / suggestions / feedback on the google doc link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1z8rQhTdRwc8d4nHyB7pK796GiXpEcKdf6lRpCwmEqZQ/edit#
Youth inputs for the Zero Draft of the UNEA-5 Ministerial Declaration
What is a Ministerial Declaration?
As you might know, UNEAs adopt a range of intergovernmental resolutions/decisions on different topics, ranging from program of work of UNEP, to critical environmental action areas and emerging issues. See the ones adopted in 2019 here. Similarly, there is one broad overarching document called the Ministerial Declaration that is adopted conveying key messages, ambition and global priorities on both the theme of UNEA and related topics.
What is the process to provide inputs for the UNEA 5 Ministerial Declaration?
Ministerial Declarations are drafted by the Presidency and then negotiated. They sent a letter last week inviting inputs from member states, major groups and other stakeholders on what are some key priorities for the Declaration.
The following photo below provides the timeline, as you can see we have until late November as the final timeline to give inputs. Right now we are just starting the process, there will be a lot of spaces to provide detailed inputs.
Youth inputs to the Declaration !
If you want to influence and set the narrative for the Declaration to include youth priorities, now is the time! At the moment, the Presidency asked two questions to be answered by different groups (see full letter from the Presidency here).
Add your inputs!
We have prepared this document for consultation and for you to add your inputs to the questions that would then form part of our collective submission to the outline of the declaration!
Also you can contribute to the intervention being delivered on this at the ASC, in about 15 hours from now, on the document link here
Draft resolutions tabled for UNEA 5.2
We will also send another detailed email about this. In the last 2-3 days, member states have already started tabling draft resolutions for UNEA 5.2.
A lot of these resolutions are cross-cutting, so we will discuss this further with everyone on which working groups, or perhaps sub teams can take lead for contributing and engaging in the development of these resolutions.
Below are the relevant documents as shared by the secretariat.
List of draft UNEA 5 resolutions tabled or announced by Member States in advance of the 8th meeting of the annual subcommittee Uploaded on 20 October 2021
Draft resolution from Rwanda/Peru on an internationally legally binding instrument on plastic pollution Uploaded on 20 October 2021
It's an open document for next several weeks so you can keep adding inputs
Draft resolution from Sri Lanka on Sustainable Nitrogen Management Uploaded on 25 October 2021
It's an open document for next several weeks so you can keep adding inputs
Draft resolution from Indonesia on Sustainable Lake Management Uploaded on 25 October 2021
It's an open document for next several weeks so you can keep adding inputs
Please also watch out for specific follow-ups coming from the PCG members and working group leaders soon.
Thank you again. Everyone's inputs are welcome, you can join various working groups and PCG using the sign-up form here; and we are looking forward to effective and meaningful youth participation in the intergovernmental processes!
Best wishes,
Teresa and Yugratna - Focal Points