Introduction & Mandate

The UN Environment Assembly is the policy making organ of the UN Environment Programme. Headquartered in Nairobi, the UNEA comprises all 193 UN Member States. It has convened annually since 2014, having replaced the Governing Council of the UNEP in 2013. The Assembly is the primary platform for global environmental policy, synthesising the efforts of member states, UN organisations, specialized agencies, inter-governmental organisations, civil society and the private sector.

The Assembly is helmed by its President and a Bureau. They are elected by all member states and represent Ministers of Environment from around the world. The UNEA President and Bureau collectively comprise the Committee of Permanent Representatives, which prepares the Assembly over the course of the year.

The Assembly aspires to deliver palpable commitments to end pollution in all the dimensions through which it afflicts our environment. These comprise a political declaration on pollution linked to the Sustainable Development goals, resolutions and decisions adopted by Member States to address particular aspects of pollution, and voluntary commitments by governments, private sector entities and civil society.

In addition to the above, the Assembly invites members of the public to sign the Clean Planet Charter - a document comprising a series of pledges towards reducing an individual's pollution footprint. It can be accessed at the following link: http://www.unep.org/environmentassembly/clean-planet-charter

With the UNEA set to have its 4th session in the first week of December 2017, and preparations already heavily underway, this committee is perhaps the most pertinent simulation at this conference. We invite all those with a genuine interest in understanding one of the most relevant issues of our age, and those with aims to undertake actual action against the global menace that is pollution.