From February 26 to March 1, 2024, the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA6) was held at the headquarters of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, Kenya. Professor. Jinhui Li, Executive Director of Basel Convention Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific and Stockholm Convention Regional Centre for Capacity-building and the Transfer of Technology in Asia and the Pacific(BCRC/SCRC China), Ms. Nana Zhao, Assistant Director of BCRC/SCRC China, and Dr. Chen Yuan, Director of Regional Chemicals Management Office of BCRC/SCRC China attended the conference and participated in the pre-consultative meeting, which held from 19 to 23 February 2024, which helped lay the groundwork for the Assembly.

The United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) is the world’ s top decision-making body on the environment. The session focused on how multilateralism can help tackle the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. More than 5,600 delegates from 190 united nations member states and major stakeholder groups, relevant united nations agencies, intergovernmental organizations and international conventions participated in the UNEA6. UNEA6 adopted 2 decisions, 15 resolutions and a ministerial declaration covering metals and mineral resources, chemicals and waste, highly hazardous pesticides, environmental assistance and recovery in areas impacted by armed conflict, on integrated water resource management in the domestic sector, agriculture and industry to tackle water stress, on sustainable lifestyles, on rehabilitation of degraded lands and waters, and more.

As a member of the Chinese delegation, the BCRC/SCRC China participants provided important support and constructive inputs to the discussions on the topics of circular economy transition, synergies with multilateral environmental agreements, metals and mineral resources, chemicals and waste, and highly hazardous pesticides, contributing significantly to the positive outcome of the meeting.