Draft report of the Committee of the Whole
Introduction
1. At the 1st plenary meeting of its fourth session, on Monday, 11 March 2019, the United Nations Environment Assembly of the United Nations Environment Programme established a committee of the whole to consider the draft resolutions and draft decisions prepared by the Committee of Permanent Representatives to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) under agenda items 6 and 10 that remained to be finalized for consideration and possible adoption by the Environment Assembly.
2. In accordance with the decision of the Environment Assembly, the Committee of the Whole held 6 meetings between Monday, 11 March, and Wednesday, 13 March 2019. As decided by the Environment Assembly, the Committee was chaired by Mr. Fernando Coimbra (Brazil) and Mr. IB Putera Parthama (Indonesia) served as Rapporteur.
I. Opening of the meeting and adoption of the agenda
3. The Chair of the Committee of the Whole opened the meeting at 12.45 p.m. on Monday, 11 March 2019.
4. The Committee adopted its agenda, on the basis of the draft provisional agenda (UNEP/COW.4/1).
II. Organization of work
5. In accordance with the document entitled “Structure of the Committee of the Whole of UNEA 4, 11-13 March 2019”, the Committee agreed to establish two working groups and three contact groups with a view to finalizing, by Wednesday, 13 March 2019, the outstanding draft decisions and draft resolutions for consideration and possible adoption by the Environment Assembly at its fourth session.
6. It was agreed that the co-chairs and the work of the working groups and contact groups would be as follows:
(a) Working group 1, to be co-chaired by Ms. Koleka Anita Mqulwana (South Africa) and Mr. Marcus Davies (Canada), would address the draft resolutions on promoting sustainable practices and innovative solutions for curbing food loss and waste (UNEP/EA.4/L.3); enhancing environmental sustainability through sustainable business practices (UNEP/EA.4/L.5); sustainable infrastructure (UNEP/EA.4/L.6); environmentally sound management of waste (UNEP/EA.4/L.8); sound management of chemicals and waste (UNEP/EA.4/L.9); and the sustainable blue economy (UNEP/EA.4/L.18);
(b) Working group 2, to be co-chaired by Ms. Julia Pataki (Romania) and Mr. Agus Justianto (Indonesia), would address the draft resolutions on innovations on biodiversity and land degradation (UNEP/EA.4/L.11); deforestation and agricultural commodity supply chains (UNEP/EA.4/L.15); innovations in sustainable rangelands and pastoralism (UNEP/EA.4/L.17); geoengineering and its governance (UNEP/EA.4/L.20); and entitled “Promote gender equality, and the human rights and empowerment of women and girls in environmental governance” (UNEP/EA.4/L.21);
(c) Contact group 1, to be chaired by Ms. Tita Korvenoja (Finland), would address the draft resolution on innovative pathways to achieve sustainable consumption and production (UNEP/EA.4/L.2);
(d) Contact group 2, to be chaired by Mr. Martin Gronda (Argentina), would address the draft resolutions on marine plastic litter and microplastics (UNEP/EA.4/L.7) and addressing single-use plastic products pollution (UNEP/EA.4/L.10);
(e) Contact group 3, to be chaired by Mr. Lukas Pokorny (Czechia), would address the draft resolution entitled “Keeping the world environment under review: enhancing UNEP’s science-policy interface and endorsement of the sixth Global Environment Outlook report” (UNEP/EA.4/L.27), as well as the draft decisions on proposed programme of work and budget for 2020–2021 (UNEP/EA.4/L.28) and on the provisional agenda, date and venue of the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEP/EA.4/L.29).
III. International environmental policy and governance
7. At its 1st plenary meeting, on 11 March 2019, the Chair recalled that the Open-ended Committee of Permanent Representatives, at its fourth meeting, held from 4 to 8 March 2019, had endorsed seven draft resolutions and one draft decision for consideration and possible adoption by the Environment Assembly, which would therefore not need to be considered by the Committee of the Whole. The seven draft resolutions related to the protection of the marine environment from land-based activities (UNEP/EA.4/L.12); sustainable management for global health of mangrove (UNEP/EA.4/L.13); sustainable coral reefs management (UNEP/EA.4/L.14); sustainable nitrogen management (UNEP/EA.4/L.16); conservation and sustainable management of peatlands (UNEP/EA.4/L.19); the fifth programme for the development and periodic review of environmental law (Montevideo V) (UNEP/EA.4/L.24); and implementation and follow up of United Nations Environment Assembly resolutions (UNEP/EA.4/L.26). The draft decision was on management of trust funds and earmarked contributions (UNEP/EA.4/L.30).
8. The co-facilitators of the five working groups established by the Open-ended Committee of Permanent Representatives at its fourth meeting provided an overview of progress achieved during the two days of consultations preceding the fourth session of the Environment Assembly in finalizing the outstanding draft resolutions and draft decisions for consideration and possible adoption by the United Nations Environment Assembly. During those consultations, the working groups had finalized four draft resolutions, which related to sustainable mobility (UNEP/EA.4/L.4); the poverty-environment nexus (UNEP/EA.4/L.22); mineral resource governance (UNEP/EA.4/L.23); and the implementation plan “Towards a pollution-free planet” (UNEP/EA.4/L.25).
9. At the same meeting, the Committee of the Whole approved the finalized draft resolutions set out in documents UNEP/EA.4/L.4, UNEP/EA.4/L.22, UNEP/EA.4/L.23 and UNEP/EA.4/L.25 for consideration and possible adoption by the Environment Assembly.
10. At its 2nd plenary meeting, on the evening of Monday, 11 March, the Committee approved the finalized draft resolution on innovations in sustainable rangelands and pastoralism (UNEP/EA.4/L.17) for consideration and possible adoption by the Environment Assembly.
11. At its 3rd plenary meeting, on the afternoon of Tuesday, 12 March, the Committee approved five finalized draft resolutions on innovative pathways to achieve sustainable consumption and production (UNEP/EA.4/L.2), sustainable infrastructure (UNEP/EA.4/L.6), environmentally sound management of waste (UNEP/EA.4/L.8), sound management of chemicals and waste (UNEP/EA.4/L.9), and entitled “Promote gender equality, and the human rights and empowerment of women and girls in environmental governance” (UNEP/EA.4/L.21), and one draft decision on the proposed programme of work and budget for 2020–2021 (UNEP/EA.4/L.28), for consideration and possible adoption by the Environment Assembly.
12. At its 4th plenary meeting, on the evening of Tuesday, 12 March, the Committee approved the finalized draft resolution on addressing environmental challenges through sustainable business practices (UNEP/EA.4/L.5) for consideration and possible adoption by the Environment Assembly.
13. At its 5th plenary meeting, on the morning of Wednesday, 13 March, the Committee approved finalized draft resolutions on promoting sustainable practices and innovative solutions for curbing food loss and waste (UNEA/EA.4/L.3) and innovations on biodiversity and land degradation (UNEP/EA.4/L.11) for consideration and possible adoption by the Environment Assembly.
14. Following an adjournment, at the same meeting the Committee approved the finalized draft resolutions on marine plastic litter and microplastics (UNEP/EA.4/L.7) and addressing single-use plastic products pollution (UNEP/EA.4/L.10) for consideration and possible adoption by the Environment Assembly.
15. At its 6th plenary meeting, on the evening of Wednesday, 13 March, the Committee approved the finalized draft resolution entitled “Keeping the world environment under review: enhancing UNEP’s science-policy interface and endorsement of the sixth Global Environment Outlook report” (UNEP/EA.4/L.27) for consideration and possible adoption by the Environment Assembly.
IV. Provisional agenda and date of the fifth session of the Environment Assembly
16. At its 5th plenary meeting, on the morning of Wednesday, 13 March, the Committee approved for consideration and possible adoption by the Environment Assembly the finalized draft decision on the provisional agenda, date and venue of the fifth session of the Environment Assembly (UNEP/EA.4/L.29).
V. Adoption of the report
17. At its 6th plenary meeting, on the evening of Wednesday, 13 March, the Committee adopted the report of the rapporteur subject to verification of the list of draft resolutions and decisions and entrusted the rapporteur and the secretariat to complete the report.
VI. Closure of the meeting
18. After expressing his gratitude to all those involved in the meetings of the Committee, in particular Ms. Francisca Ashietey-Odunton, Chair of the Committee of Permanent Representatives, the Chair closed the meeting at 8.40 p.m. on the evening of 13 March 2019.
