Closing Plenary | UNEA-7

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, may I please invite you to take your seats. We are about to begin. Also, for the interpreters, the President is going to speak in Arabic, so I'm kindly letting you to be ready. Thank you so much.

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. In the name of God, the Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

We're going to begin. Please, everybody, take your seats. Okay, please take your places. Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

In the name of God, the most gracious, most merciful. Peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad. Your Excellencies, distinguished guests, Honorable ministers, dear representatives, ladies and gentlemen, peace be upon you. I'm pleased to call to order the 7th and final plenary meeting of the 7th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly. Before I begin, I'd like to express my sincere appreciation to each and every one of you for all your hard work this week, staying up until early morning hours to produce outcomes that will help pave the way for a resilient planet. We're now at the end of this week-long journey. And I trust that we can once again demonstrate the Nairobi spirit of consensus and multilateralism in support of sustainable development. Now, I invite the Assembly to continue its consideration of Agenda Item 9, High-Level Segment. We will now hear 3-minute summaries of the 3 leadership dialogues and the multi-stakeholder dialogue. And now I give the floor to Ms. Antoinette Tauss, UNEP Goodwill Ambassador, moderator of the leadership dialogue. On "An ounce of prevention beats a ton of cure," why addressing environmental crises is essential for human health, to present a summary of the dialogue which was held yesterday afternoon.

Excellencies, honorable and distinguished delegates, the leadership dialogue titled "An Ounce of Prevention Beats a Ton of Cure: Why Addressing Environmental Crises Is Essential for Human Health" underscored that human health and planetary health are inseparable, with speakers emphasizing prevention overreaction in addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. In her opening remarks, UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen highlighted that environmental, economic, and human health are chapters of one story, calling for decisions that restore nature, shift to circularity, and redirect finance Toward resilience. UNEP Patron of Biodiversity, Her Majesty Queen Mary of Denmark, in her keynote address highlighted a personal and global connection to nature, noting that climate impacts disproportionately harm vulnerable communities. She urged for collective action grounded in indigenous knowledge, science, adaptation, and nature-based solutions. She reminded delegates that global actions to restore the ozone layer is a powerful reminder that collective actions can bring transformative change. Panelists highlighted the need for science-based, culturally grounded, and locally informed policies for human and environmental health. The speakers illustrated with examples how traditional stewardship when combined with modern scientific knowledge, strengthens environmental governance. The speakers emphasized the interconnectedness of nature and human well-being, the importance of a holistic approach, and the need to balance Indigenous knowledge and scientific evidence. They also underscored the need to invest in knowledge systems integrated governance, and to shift the economic model to prioritize long-term resilience over short-term gains. Interventions from member states and as well as by several UN entities and intergovernmental organizations and other stakeholders converged on several themes, including the economic and public health costs of environmental degradation, importance of integrating One Health in governance, need for investing in early warning systems for climate-informed planning, and the key role of water in the environment and health nexus. Additionally, local and community action is critical, and that healthy food systems, local innovation, and community resilience form the frontline of health and environmental protection. Overall, key messages focused on the inseparability of human and planetary health, with delegates stressing that prevention rather than response must guide global action. Thank you.

Shukran.

Thank you very much. I'd like to thank Ms. Tausz for the summary. I now give the floor to Mr. Jocelyne Bleriot, Deputy Lead— I now give the floor to Mr. Jocelyne Bleriot, The Executive Director of Lynn McArthur and also the moderator of the Leadership Dialogue on Round and Round: Why Circularity and Sustainability is Critical to the Future of Global Industry to present a summary of the dialogue which was held this morning.

Thank you very much, Excellencies, dear delegates, ladies and gentlemen. I have had the pleasure of moderating the leadership dialogue titled "Round in Round: Why Circular and Sustainability Are Critical to the Future of Global Industry." We explored how circular value chains can reduce environmental pressures, build resilience, and promote equity. The panelists noted, according to IRP figures— that's the International Resource Panel— that global material extraction has tripled in 50 years, driving 60% of climate impacts and 90% of biodiversity loss. The circular economy emerged as a systemic solution to decouple growth from resource use, and it rests on 3 principles: design out waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use, and regenerate natural systems. We have heard calls for science-based targets, robust measurement, financing, economic incentives, and a global data materials hub that would help monitor the material flows and know about the stocks that are in the system. This in a view to support evidence-based policy, responsible business practices, and sustainable resource management. Speakers showcased a very wide range, and that's extremely encouraging, of national and regional policies that are promoting circular economy, whether we're looking at governance when it comes to extended producer responsibility, product design criteria, service-based models, zero-waste cities, and circular economy acts. And by the way, according to UNIDO figures, we are now approaching 100 or maybe over 100 circular economy either national roadmaps, strategies, or action plans, which is a very, very encouraging sign. Circularity was viewed as critical to the deep collaboration needed for successful transitions in critical mineral, where geopolitical tensions and environmental as well as social impacts are extremely important, but also sectors such as energy, mobility, buildings and construction, textiles, electronics, plastics, and agri-food. There was broad agreement that circular economy is not not only an environmental imperative but a tool to increase competitiveness and resilience as well as social equity for a sustainable, equitable future. In summary, circular economy is seen as a clear way to move from a system that consumes and depletes finite resources to one that builds economic, social, and environmental capital. Thank you.

I'd like to thank Mr. Bellerio for this summary and now I give the floor to Ms. Arti Awari, the UN Independent Expert on Foreign Debt and International Financial Obligations, a moderator of the Leadership Dialogue on the Bottom Line: Why Tackling Environmental Degradation is Critical to the future of the global financial system to present a summary of the dialogue, which was also held this morning.

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, when the spider webs unite, they can tie down the lion. And this is an African proverb. Our leadership dialogue was on the bottom line and why tackling environmental degradation is critical to the future of the global financial system. This not only focuses on how governments can provide conditions to finance sustainable economic growth, but also support resilience. Key takeaways included firstly, effective policy and regulatory measures to address climate and environmental risks to economic and financial stability, and secondly, to transform economies in order to secure resilience. Public policies highlighted to achieve change included sustainable finance taxonomies for use in public and private finance, which can act as a tool to transform the economy, drive structural change, and decarbonize key sectors. Taxonomies can firstly address strategic environmental, social, and economic objectives that contribute to adaptation and mitigation, sustainable land use, promote diverse biodiversity, on biodiversity, the circular economy, bioeconomy, and waste management, as well as human rights across all sectors. Secondly, they can promote financial flows for sustainable development with credibility and avoid greenwashing, a key concern highlighted by several civil society groups during the dialogue. Thirdly, strong governance and participative stakeholder engagement can bring about legitimacy and make taxonomy more effective. Ministries of Finance and financial regulators were called on to adopt measures such as taxonomies, compliance with carbon markets, sovereign sustainable bonds, and new and innovative financial instruments. UNEP supports initiatives to facilitate coherence between national and international agendas, including a taxonomy roadmap initiative to advance sustainable finance taxonomies in— interoperability. My apologies. Concerns were raised about the immediate systemic and material impacts of climate and environmental risks, which are therefore relevant for price stability and the safety and soundness of financial systems nationally, internationally, and regionally. Policymakers and regulators can firstly shape market expectations through policy signals, influencing risk pricing, regulation, and supervision, as well as promoting innovation. Secondly, they can also create the shift needed to address risks through enabling frameworks such as taxonomies and promote investment to green sustainable transition. Finally, dialogue across ministries and central banks become very important as sustainable finance can address environment, nature, and climate-related risk as integral to ensure that financial systems are not only sustainable, resilient, and nature-positive, but one that works for all. Ministries have a key role to establish science and sectoral pathways needed in sectors such as agriculture, energy, fiscal measures, and investment plans to meet climate and environmental goals. Central banks can also support capital mobilization in the financial system. Member states highlighted a range of measures they are taking to address climate change and environmental degradation through the mobilization of private finance. The United Arab Emirates stated that the country's sustainable finance working groups aim to align financial policies with national climate goals, implementing systems to integrate sustainability into finance, through measures including clear transition pathways for high-impact sectors. Singapore also highlighted initiatives including blended finance to support Asia's decarbonization with financing for renewable energy and industrial transformation in certain sectors, reaffirming its commitment to multilateralism and working with member states. In conclusion, stakeholders stressed the need for whole-of-government approaches, with participants calling for enabling conditions, science-based policies, and inclusive governance to accelerate a just transition, ensuring no one is left behind. I thank you very much.

I'd like to thank Ms. Worris for this summary. And finally, I invite Mr. Joost van den Broeck, co-moderator, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Netherlands and the co-chair of the Group of Friends of the Major Groups and Stakeholders, to present a summary of the multi-stakeholder dialogue held yesterday afternoon.

Please, distinguished colleagues, good afternoon. Together with Mr. Felix Dotz from the Stakeholder Forum and Adjunct Professor at the Water Institute University in North Carolina, I had the honor to co-moderate yesterday's multi-stakeholder dialogue. I am pleased to report back with some key takeaways from our discussions. Firstly, allow me to express my sincere appreciation to the UNEP Deputy Executive Director, all member states, major groups and stakeholders, panelists and participants who contributed to the dialogue. I also extend our thanks to the UNEP Secretariat for its support in convening this event. Yesterday's dialogue focused on enhancing resilience through inclusive partnerships across sectors. It delivered one resounding message: partnerships and multi-stakeholder their collaboration is no longer optional. It is essential. It is a prerequisite for outcomes that are effective, legitimate, and implementable. Participants emphasized that today's environmental challenges are complex, interconnected, and socially embedded. As such, solutions must be cross-sectoral, collaborative, and inclusive. No single institution, sector, or country can tackle these challenges alone. What is required are integrated approaches, not siloed interventions. Participants underscored that resilience in the face of accelerating environmental crises can only be achieved through inclusive cross-sectoral partnerships that meaningfully engage governments at all levels, as well as civil society, indigenous peoples, local communities, authorities, children and youth, the private sector, and academia. The dialogue affirmed that environmental governance is strongest when it is inclusive, participatory, and grounded in the lived realities and solutions of people and communities across the world. Solutions that address our shared environmental challenges must be co-created, balancing both bottom-up and top-down approaches. Ensuring they serve the interests of everyone impacted by their implementation. During yesterday's dialogue, speakers also highlighted persistent barriers, uneven progress on the ground, limited financing for implementation, unstable institutional capacities, competing priorities, and insufficient coordination among sectors and governance. Once again, participants highlighted that these barriers can only be overcome through strengthened, genuine, and meaningful exchange between governments and stakeholders. In summarizing the outcomes of the dialogue, one conclusion stood out: Solutions for a resilient planet can only be truly resilient when they enjoy shared ownership, and shared ownership requires co-creation. That is exactly what we have tried to do over the past two weeks here in Nairobi. UNEA-7 has offered a space for stakeholders and member states to meet, to exchange, to connect, and to ultimately co-create frameworks that address our shared environmental challenges. Ladies and gentlemen, in concluding, we all know that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. This well-known truth also applies to UNEP and UNEA. Major groups and stakeholders are indispensable partners for member states in driving implementation accountability, and the transformative changes envisioned in our UNEA resolutions. Only by working together across borders, sectors, and communities can we deliver the resilient and sustainable future the world urgently needs. Let's continue that process of co-creation together. We thank you.

Thank you all for the valuable interventions. I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the speakers and participants for the fruitful discussions in the various dialogues. May I take it that the Assembly takes note of these summaries? I see no objection. It is so decided. Those summaries will be reflected in the report of the session. The Assembly will consider the draft ministerial declaration under agenda item number 12, entitled Adoption of Resolutions, Decisions, and Outcome Document of the Session. The Assembly has thus included this consideration of agenda item 9. I now invite the Assembly to resume its consideration of agenda item 10, cooperation with multilateral environmental agreements. As you may call under this item, Two high-level dialogues and a concluding dialogue took place on Wednesday, the 10th of December. We will proceed to hear their summaries. I now invite Ms. Patricia Mbotti, Director of the Law Division, UNEP, to provide a summary of the dialogues held during the MEA's Day.

Participants, I thank His Excellency Abdullah bin Ali Al Amri, Chair of the Environment Authority of Oman and President of UNEA-7, for the opportunity to present the key messages from the second celebration of Multilateral Environmental Agreements Day. With high-level participation of member states, representatives of multilateral environmental agreements, intergovernmental organizations, major groups and stakeholders, the two dialogues focused on: one, turbocharging MEAs implementation through whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches; two, on keeping the promise Boosting SDGs Implementation Through the MEAs. These were then followed by a high-level discussion on the conclusions of MEAs Day, which brought the day to a close. I would like to highlight 6 key messages which emerged from the MEAs Day. First, strong environmental governance through effective MEA implementation is central to achieving the SDGs. MEAs provide the cooperation, monitoring, and accountability frameworks that make global progress possible. Coordinated support by MEA Secretariats, UNEP, and other UN entities can amplify benefits while boosting efficiencies, particularly in the context of UNAT. Second, strengthened coherence, cooperation, and collaboration across MEAs is needed to boost global impact. MEAs were recognized as pillars of global environmental governance. Strong calls were made for deeper synergies across MEAs to match the speed and scale required to address the three planetary environmental crises. Nexus thinking and integrated approaches generate the strongest environmental, social, and economic co-benefits, and where interlocking, the scientific community remains of paramount importance. Moving from paper to action was strongly called for, including by strengthening cooperation among MEAs' national focal points, harmonizing digital reporting tools, avoiding duplication, and using the convening power of UNEA to drive mutually reinforcing implementation and continued dialogue to exchange, build on existing initiatives like the BERN process, which is important to inform and stimulate action. Third, Mobilizing diverse sectors and stakeholders unlocks implementation synergies. A whole-of-government approach can be harnessed through interministerial coordination, integrated planning, unified data and reporting frameworks, and budget decisions that reflect international obligations. Inclusive whole-of-society engagement and participatory mechanisms have improved policy design, legitimacy, and implementation on the ground. Sustainable consumption and production remain an important foundation to deliver real progress. Indigenous peoples, local communities, women, youth, local authorities, workers, and the private sector can be meaningfully delivery allies. Environmental democracy and trust-building through science and knowledge exchange enable effective MEA implementation rooted in the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. Fourth, transparency, coherent monitoring, and regular scientific assessments accelerate progress while strengthening accountability and cooperation Knowledge sharing, regional cooperation, and science policy connections support the spread of effective practices for cross-MEA delivery, recognizing that leadership and innovation are widely distributed. Fifth, progress accelerates when commitments are linked to spending decisions, providing resources to deliver on international commitments. Political will, institutional coherence, and adequate financing are essential to close implementation gaps. This should be supported by tools such as green budgeting, intersectoral mechanisms, and integrated data systems. Structurally, sharing green investment between agreements and embedding financial systems with nature-positive criteria were pointed out as positive innovations. Sixth, UNEA can illuminate shared ambition and foster collective action. Modernized, inclusive, and future-oriented cooperation can help transform today's crisis into opportunities. MEAs Day led us to reflect on whether UNEA could serve as a platform for, one, ensuring follow-up where countries could present voluntary national reviews of progress on synergies with a view to accelerating the implementation of the MEAs, similarly to the High-Level Political Forum, highlighting cross-MEA cooperation and promoting the uptake of the MEA science Guidance and standards across UN processes was a second way. And three, enhancing system-wide environmental cooperation between UN bodies and intergovernmental organizations in line with shared ambition and collective actions. Excellencies, distinguished participants, MEAs Day reaffirmed that integrated, coordinated action across the MEAs landscape is both achievable and already delivering results. It highlighted that environmental multilateralism remains a cornerstone for addressing global challenges. Working together, we can ensure that global environmental governance empowers countries to secure a healthier, safer, and more sustainable future for all. I thank you.

Thank you very much for this summary. Do I— may I take it as a wish that the Assembly— to take note of the Assembly? I see no objections. It's so decided. The summary will be reflected in the report of the session. The Assembly has thus concluded its consideration of the agenda item 10. I now invite the Assembly to consider jointly agenda item 5 entitled International Environmental Policy and Governance Issues and agenda item 6 entitled Programme of Work and Budget and Other Administrative and Budgetary Issues. As you may recall, these two agenda items, together with the outstanding proposals considered by the Open-Ended Committee of Permanent Representatives, were allocated to the Committee of the Whole. I would therefore like to invite the Chair of the Committee of the Whole, Her Excellency Doyle Clarke, Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Climate Change, and constituency empowerment of Saint Kitts and Nevis to present the report of the Committee of the Whole.

It is my great pleasure and honor to report that the Committee of the Whole has successfully concluded its work based on the excellent preparatory work undertaken at the open-ended session of the Committee of Permanent Permanent Representatives, under the leadership of the Chair of the Committee of Permanent Representatives, His Excellency Sultan Hayat Jev, and his fellow Bureau members, we considered 15 draft resolutions and 3 draft decisions. In total, we held 3 plenary with fruitful negotiations occurring in the intervals of— on 4 distinct clusters of draft resolutions and decisions. This involved two contact groups and numerous informal informal consultations reflecting our collective commitment to dialogue. Our deliberations took place day and night with co-chairs and delegations working tirelessly to craft consensus-driven text. The negotiations were facilitated by the following colleagues: Miss Marie Haraldstad of Norway, Ms. Kanako Okano of Japan, Mr. Martin Rowe of Germany, Ms. Sarah El-Khouli of Egypt, Mr. Michal Novotny of Czech Republic, Mr. Otumetse Otumetse of Botswana, Mr. Nader Al-Tarawneh of Jordan, and Mr. Tobias Ogweno of Kenya. With thanks to their hard work and extraordinary skills as co-chairs and facilitators, I am very pleased to submit to you, Mr. President, 7 draft resolutions which were agreed ad ref and transmitted by the Committee of the Whole for adoption. The final texts have been made available online through the United Nations Document System. The documents submitted for adoption are as follows: 1, Accelerating Global Actions to Promote Climate Resilience coral reefs contained in Document L3. 2, promoting sustainable solutions through support for a resilient planet contained in Document L5. 3, strengthening international cooperation on the environmentally sound management of minerals and metals contained in Document L6. 4, strengthening the global response to the massive influx of sargassum seaweed contained in Document L7. 5, promoting synergies, cooperation, or collaboration for national implementation of multilateral environmental agreements and other relevant environmental instruments contained in Document L8. 6, enhancing the meaningful participation of youth in environmental processes and in environmental education contained in Document L9. L9. I understand that an editorial correction needs to be made to the title to read enhancing the meaningful participation of youth on environmental processes and on environmental education. This edit will be reflected in the post-session version of the draft resolution. 7, strengthening the global management of wildfires contained in Document 10. Before the adjournment of the closing plenary of the committee, of the committee delegations requested additional time to continue their informal discussions after the closing of the Committee of the Whole with a view to find agreement on some of the outstanding drafts. The Secretariat clarified that such discussions may take place in an informal setting and that meeting rooms would be provided upon upon request. Based on the outcome of these discussions, new drafts of these resolutions and decisions may be submitted to the Environmental Assembly. The draft procedural report of the Committee of the Whole is available on the meeting portal of the committee as document UNEA/EA7/CW/L1 and will be finalized after this session to reflect the— information I have just provided to you today. I also wish to update you that on 10 December 2025, the delegation of Mexico withdrew the draft resolution titled Strengthening the Role of the United Nations Environment Programme Headquarters in Nairobi to Address Environmental Challenges and Enhance Multilateral Cooperation to Address Effective Multilateral Governance, contained in Document UNEP/OECPR 7/L18, and submitted on the same day a new draft resolution titled Strengthening the United Nations Environment Programme, as contained in Document UNEP/EA 7/L4. This draft was transmitted directly to the Assembly for consideration by the Assembly. Mr. President, I wish to recognize with great appreciation the work of Her Excellency Nino Tandilishvili of Georgia in her capacity as Rapporteur for the Committee of the Whole, who has cleared the report before its finalization. I also wish to express my deepest appreciation to the co-chairs of the contact groups for brokering the final compromise solutions. I am also very grateful to all delegates who engaged in a constructive spirit of results-oriented negotiations. Finally, my special thanks to the Secretariat of UNEP as well as UNON Conference Services and interpreters, and to the Governance Affairs team who enabled us to achieve this excellent result. The consensus achieved these last days is a clear example of the the results that we can have through constructive dialogue. I wish to close by reiterating that we must promote multilateralism and strengthen our collaborative efforts to contain the rising threats to our planet. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much to the Chair of the Committee of the Whole. Does the Assembly wish to take note of the report? Any comments? I see no objections. It is so decided. I would like to take this opportunity now to thank the Chair and Sir Rapporteur, as well as the entire Committee of the Whole.

Belize, the floor is yours. Al-kelm alaikum.

Please be careful with the request for the floor because there are some requests that disappear later, so I'm calling on you to be vigilant. So I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Chair, Ante Rampeter, as well as the entire Committee of the Hall working tirelessly and collaboratively to contribute to the success of this Assembly. And so the Assembly has thus concluded its consideration of agenda items 5 and 6. The Environment Assembly is now inviting— And so the Environment Assembly will now consider Agenda Item 12, Adoption of the Resolutions, Decisions, and Outcome of the Session. In a declaration, we are reminded that the Assembly has forwarded the draft ministerial declaration entitled Advancing Sustainable Solutions for a Resilient Planet. Which has been issued as document UNEP/EA.7.HLS.L1. I'd also wanted to remind delegations that the Open Energy Committee of Permanent Representatives recommended one draft decision on the management of the trust funds and earmarked contributions for adoption by the Environment Assembly. Delegations were further recalled that the Assembly at its first plenary meeting on Monday, the 8th of December, deferred the adoption of this draft decision to the closing plenary. As reported by the Chair of the Committee of the Whole, the Assembly also has before it 7 draft resolutions recommended by the Committee of the Whole for adoption. Delegations were recalled at informal consultations continued on some draft resolutions and decisions following the conclusion of the work of the Committee of the Whole. In this regard, 4 draft resolutions and 2 draft decisions have been made available as documents L.11 through L.16. I'd like to thank the co-chairs, for continuing to facilitate these informal consultations and ensure a successful outcome of UNEA 7. In light of the fact that draft resolutions L.13, L.14, L.15, and L.16 have been submitted earlier today, the Assembly will proceed to adopt these 4 draft resolutions in English unedited version only. The Assembly will consider later the draft decision on the provisional agenda and dates of its 8th session under agenda item 11. In order to proceed, uh, in an expeditious manner, the Assembly will first take action on the draft ministerial declaration followed by action on those drafts that have been finalized in the open-ended CPR, the Committee of the Whole, or through informal consultations. Therefore, the Assembly will consider the draft resolution submitted by the representative of Mexico. As per established practice, member states wishing to make an explanation of position on the draft ministerial declaration or on any of the draft resolutions and decisions— that's what we will take action on now— will have the opportunity to do so after their adoption. Of the ministerial declaration and the draft resolution. And as has been pointed out before, the draft resolution from Mexico issued as document L.4 will be considered after we have adopted all other drafts, which is why any explanation of position on L.4 will be done after the introduction of the draft. And now we are going to discuss the draft ministerial declaration. Let's move on to the draft ministerial declaration contained in document UNEP/EA7/HLS/L1. May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to adopt the draft ministerial declaration?

Congo, the floor is yours.

Congo.

Je vous remercie.

I thank you, Chair. I thank you, the President of the Assembly. I'm Minister of the Environment and Sustainable Development of the Congo Basin of the Republic of Congo.

Chair—

President, I will first of all— permit me to congratulate yourself and the Secretariat, UNEP Secretariat, for the smooth holding of this assembly. Also, the Republic of Congo extends its gratitude to all contributors who have led to the development of this draft ministerial declaration while recognizing the importance of the declaration that affects all of the commitments that we as governments want to adopt.— answer. Finally, Congo would like to point out that the declaration doesn't make any mention of a global environment fund. We would like to suggest something that we have already forwarded to the Secretariat, but I don't know—

Your Excellency the Minister. Permit me, if you have any comments or explanations or reservations, that's— or the time to deliver them would be after the draft declaration has been presented.

So I first wanted to know— well, if you already adopt the document and You want us to deliver our comments later. I don't see what the methodology is here. I haven't really understood what you are suggesting to me.

Your Excellency, with all due respect, this is due to the rules of procedure of the Assembly. Member States can deliver comments and present their explanations or reservations, but it's up to the chair, up to the President, to decide at what moment in time that will be done. And if you want, if you wish to deliver your comments, that will be done after the presentation of the draft declaration, and now I, I'm suggesting that we adopt the draft resolution. I see no objections. The draft declaration has been adopted. Thank you to you all, and I'd also like to extend my gratitude to all of the delegations for their constructive cooperation and their flexibility in achieving this important outcome. I would also like to thank Her Excellency Nasrallah Hashmi, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Amman to UNEP, for conducting the intergovernmental consultations on my behalf, as well as His Excellency Peter Madden, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Belgium to UNEP, and Her Excellency Romy Tien Coupa, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Peru to UNEP, who conducted the informal consultations on the draft ministerial declaration, which have led to this successful outcome. Furthermore, I would like to thank the Committee of Permanent Representatives and the Secretariat for their unwavering support in advancing this negotiations. Let's move on to L.3, entitled Accelerating Global Actions to Promote the Climate Resilience of Coral Reefs. May I take that the Assembly wishes to adopt this draft resolution? I see no objections. It is so decided. We will now turn to draft resolution L.5 entitled Promoting Sustainable Solutions Through Sport for a Resilient Planet. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to adopt this draft resolution? I see no objections. It is so decided. We will now turn to draft resolution 06 entitled Strengthen International Cooperation on the Environmentally Sound Management of minerals and metals. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to adopt this draft resolution? I see no objections. It is so decided. We will now turn to Draft Resolution L.7 entitled Strengthening the Global Response to the Massive Influx of Sargassum Seaweeds . May I take it that the Assembly wishes to adopt this draft resolution? I see no objections. It is so decided. We will now turn to draft resolution L.8 entitled Promoting synergies, cooperation or collaboration for national implementation of multilateral environmental agreements. And other relevant environmental instruments. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to adopt this draft resolution? I see no objections. It is so decided. We will now turn to draft resolution L.9 entitled Enhancing the meaningful participation of youth in environmental processes and in environmental education. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to bring in a small editorial change to the title so that we could speak of the meaningful participation of youth in environmental processes as well as environmental education. That amendment will be reflected in the final version after the Assembly and in the draft decision. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to adopt this draft resolution? I see no objections. It is so decided. We will now turn to draft resolution L.10 entitled Strengthening the Global Management of wildfires. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to adopt this draft resolution? I see no objections. It is so decided. We will now turn to draft resolution L.13, entitled "Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste." May I take it that the Assembly wishes to adopt this draft resolution? I see no objections. It is so decided. We will now turn to draft resolution L.14, entitled Environmental Sustainability of Artificial Intelligence Systems. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to adopt this draft resolution? I see no objections. It is so decided. We will now turn to draft resolution L.15 entitled preservation of glaciers and the broader cryosphere, in particular in mountain regions. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to adopt this draft resolution? I see no objections. It is so decided. We will now turn to draft resolution L.16 entitled Environmental Dimensions of Antimicrobial Resistance. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to adopt this draft resolution? I see no objections. It is so decided. We will now take draft decision. L2, entitled "Management of Trust Funds and Earmarked Contributions." May I take it that the Assembly wishes to adopt this draft resolution? I see no objections. It is so decided. We will finally turn to draft decision L.12 entitled Medium-term strategy for the period 2026 to 2029 and the programme of work and budget for the biennium 2026-2027. At this stage, I'd like to give the floor to a representative of the Secretariat to read out some technical edits to paragraph 17 of the Programme of Work contained in document UNEP/EA/2026/2027 7/4.

Thank you, Mr. President. The Executive Director, after taking advice from legal counsel, has decided to make the following technical edits to the first sentence of paragraph 17 of the proposed program of work and budget for the biennium 2026 to 2027. The Executive Director has deleted the words 'and influencing' in paragraph 17. The Executive Director has changed the term 'processes' to 'bodies.' The Executive Director has deleted the phrase 'such as the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, the Human Rights Council, and the Security Council.' And number 4, the Executive Director has added the phrase at the end of the revised sentence, "under the guidance of the United Nations Environment Assembly." Accordingly, the first sentence of paragraph 17 now reads as follows: UNEP will continue to provide leadership on the environmental dimension of sustainable development, comma, informing global environmental policymaking through global intergovernmental bodies within the United Nations under the guidance of the United Nations Environment Assembly. The program of work has been reissued accordingly. Thank you, Mr. President. Shukran, Yaseelan.

Thank you very much for these clarifications. Now, with that information provided, may I take it that the Assembly wishes to adopt this draft resolution? I see no objections. It is so decided. As mentioned before, consideration of draft resolution L.4 submitted by Mexico will be conducted after the explanation of positions on the drafts that have just been adopted. Also, action on the draft decision on dates Union 8 will be taken up under agenda item 11. Delegations wishing to make a statement in explanation of position on the draft ministerial declaration or any of the draft resolutions and decisions just adopted are invited to do so now in one intervention. Delegates are reminded that the time limit for explanation of position is 3 minutes only. I'm giving the floor to Congo.

Once again, thanks very much, distinguished President, in congratulating the Assembly on adopting the documents you have presented. We would also like to use this occasion to request from the presidency that we would like to submit a proposal for the inclusion of the report of the session, but I believe our proposal has arrived too late and it will be retained in the summary of the session. Republic of Congo suggests the role played by the Global Environment Fund in developing countries as a financing mechanism for multilateral agreements in order to meet their environmental priorities for the past 30 years. We are pinning a lot of hope to the new replenishment the fourth replenishment of GEF, as well as the contribution of funds for the benefit of LDCs to special funds on climate change and the global biodiversity framework in line with the new collective initiative financing climate work and implementation of the— industrial global biodiversity framework. We are also grateful to GEF for its response to environmental crisis and the promotion of sustainable development for the entire planet while insisting on the need to reinforce these processes so that they are more equitable and more accessible. That is why, Mr. President, why there the Republic of Congo, and our President would like for these remarks to be reflected in the summary of this session. Once again, I thank you.

Thank you very much.

I'll give the floor now to the United States of America. You have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President, Madam Executive Director. This year, the United States made the considered decision to step back from negotiations on all UNEA resolutions, decisions, and the Ministerial Declaration. We did so because we continue to see see the same contentious and irrelevant issues raised session after session, despite our repeated calls to keep UNEA focused on its core environmental mandate. UNEA texts should be short, actionable, and forward-looking. Instead, we consistently see drafts weighed down by outdated references, restatements of documents not endorsed by all member states, and language disconnected from realities on the The United States cannot support work that strays focus away from UNEP's core mandate. Year after year, we have urged that the number of resolutions be limited and tightly focused on matters clearly within UNEP's competence. Yet once again, we see a proliferation of texts that seek to create new unfunded mandates for UNEP. Many resolutions contain problematic language recognizing rights that do not exist under international law, advancing divisive gender ideology, social justice, or climate change theater initiatives, pushing an agenda of soft global governance via the Sustainable Development Goals, promoting vague redistributions of wealth, or purporting to direct international financial institutions in ways that undermine both their independence as separate international organizations and our sovereignty sovereignty. The United States will not endorse language that conflicts with principles of free markets, transparency, and accountability. Let me be clear: the United States remains committed to pragmatic, science-based cooperation that genuinely advances environmental protections while respecting national sovereignty, economic growth, and energy security. Unfortunately, many of the texts The texts discussed at UNEA VII do not reflect such a member-state-driven, common-sense approach. For these reasons, the United States disassociates itself from all resolutions, decisions, and from the ministerial declaration under consideration, as they contain principles and language we cannot support. In addition, we wish to place on record our deep and growing concern regarding the direction and effectiveness of UNEA. We cannot support efforts to expand UNEP's mandate or endorse new initiatives without a clear, funded basis. The United States must move away from bloated ideological multilateralism and towards practical reforms that deliver real results and remain accountable to the nations that fund this system. The United States is currently reviewing our participation

Thank you, the United States of America. And now I give the floor to Singapore.

Thank you, Mr. President. Singapore welcomes the adoption of the Ministerial Declaration on Advancing Sustainable Solutions for a Resilient Planet. We support the declaration as it reinforces our collective commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Sustainable Development and the Pact for the Future. Singapore is committed to supporting multilateral efforts to advance environmental challenges and build a more sustainable and resilient future for all. Notwithstanding Singapore's support for the Declaration and Footnotes 4 and 5 in the Declaration, we would like to put on record our reservation on the regrettable omission in the Declaration of a clear affirmation reaffirmation of the primacy of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out. As a small island nation, Singapore believes it is essential that ocean conservation and sustainable use must be conducted under international law, particularly UNCLOS, which remains the cornerstone for global ocean governance. Therefore, Singapore does not view the relevant sentence as constituting agreed language to be used as a precedent for future processes in UNEA or elsewhere, and we ask that our position be noted in the records of this session. Singapore looks forward to working with all Member States to ensure our collective efforts to achieve sustainable global climate targets and the Sustainable Development Goals are within reach and in accordance with international law.

International law.

Thank you, President.

Shukran, Sen. Now we'd like to thank Singapore, and now we give the floor to Egypt.

In Arabic language.

Your Excellency Abdullah Al-Anmari, President of UNIA-7, Mr. Inger Andersen, Mr. President, the Executive Director, and ladies and gentlemen, Egypt first would like to extend its wholeheartedly thanks and appreciation for the Emirati presidency in managing the G7 despite the colossal challenges. And we also like to appreciate the efforts of the Director Executive and the Secretariat for all their great efforts throughout the past few months in preparation for the UNEA. The UNEA 7 had strong and long and complicated negotiations, and despite that, member states managed to reach understanding consensus around new and many issues. And the first time it adopted a resolution about AI to serve environment, it reaffirmed the importance of UNEP and its confidence in the Secretariat, and it also adopted the midterm strategy and the action plan from '26 till '29. It is very clear during this Assembly that there's an increasing attention to some issues more than others, some interests and some opinions more than others, and we need to say that international cooperation is the basis of multilateralism and the foundation of the UN to do change. Egypt would like to affirm the dangerous approach of having those individual approaches or sort of differences. We're disappointed that we didn't deal with international regional cooperation in a good way among member states around water issues. It is very clear that some countries don't want to cooperate with neighboring countries about water issues, which is the main vein of life. Egypt calls on the international cooperation to pay attention to the water security issues and the rights of countries and the sustainability of water for the sake of people and environment, and people have the right to get efficient water and to focus on SDG 6, which is water sustainability. And, and 4 years before reaching 2030, it has the lowest level of implementation, particularly in terms of the transboundary water cooperation, according the progress report of SDGs for 2025. Egypt expresses its concern that we try to impose some differences and controversial issues that has not agreed upon, and also dealing with issues that's outside the mandate of the UNEA and the UNEP. Egypt would like to deal with this, having to deal away with the text that deals with having this UNEP governance and we need to deal with mutually agreed terms. There is a historical responsibility about the means of implementation. Egypt would like to express its appreciation to the presidency during UNEA VII, which led to achieving the outcomes as we could and to cooperate with the Executive Director and the Secretariat to implement the outcomes of UNEA-7 in a friendly atmosphere and to focus on international cooperation.

Shukran, Jumhoria, Al-Kelmel, Ecuador.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. We'd like first and foremost to add our voices to the other speakers regarding the adoption of these various decisions and the way in which you're running the meeting. We'd like to congratulate you and all the Secretariat as well, all the states that have taken part in the various negotiations as well and the resolutions and decisions, including the ministerial decision. We'd like to congratulate also the various speakers and the submitted the various drafts that have reached success. We would have liked to have seen a little bit more ambition in the resolutions and also in the ministerial position as well. We are sorry to see there have— has not been a reference, a more assertive reference, for example, regarding the number of ratifications necessary for the entry into force of the on the high seas, and this is something that is very historic, the result of 18 years of— and I think they should have had reference in this ministerial declaration. I could say the same thing as well, regarding the reference to the agreement regarding plastic pollution as well in Assembly 5. Resolution 514 and the ministerial declaration to this process and there not being a reference to the entire cycle of life to plastics and this should be the focus of the procedure regarding the reference to multi-degree terms in the ministerial declaration under Action 1.— in E, paragraph E, under Action 3 also, in paragraph S, and Q. Now, in these references, they're not consistent with the framework for biodiversity, and so my delegation would like to say It reserves its position and we're hoping that in future negotiations of UNE and other four, they can be examined. We want this position to go on the record and we'd like to congratulate you and all the other participants as well. Thank you very much indeed.

to have a 5-minute intervention and any country asks for an extra 2 minutes, they have the right to that. Now, I give the floor to Argentina.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. First and foremost, I would like to congratulate you, sir, on your very good leadership which has brought us to the success we have now. Argentina would like to express its satisfaction for the adoption in this assembly of the ministerial declaration and all the various resolutions and decisions which have enabled us to bring forward solutions that are sustainable for a resilient planet. Argentina would like to record its strong commitment with the environmental agenda as well in compliance with MEAs, we have taken part in the negotiations in a constructive fashion and accompanying this consensus. Notwithstanding that, we would have preferred references to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, for which we reaffirm this as a pillar of environment multilateralism. Argentina also dissociates itself with all these paragraphs in the documents adopted, making reference to Agenda 2030 and its SDGs in concordance with the disassociation put forward by our president in the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Argentina did not— is not a member of the Pact for the Future and considers that the Agenda 2030 and the SDGs, although they're well-intentioned, are composed consist of a number of aspirations that are non-binding, and in exercise of sovereignty, they have the right to continue to act in freedom. Finally, regarding references to gender and gender equity, Argentina would like to say that it understands the term gender as set forward in the Rome Statute in its Article 7.3. For our country, the term— this term will have no other acceptation than that, and we would like to turn to the Secretariat to request that our intervention go on the record in the final report. Thank you very much. We'd like to thank you, the Secretariat, and all the participants for the success crowning our conference.

Thank you very much.

I'd like to thank Argentina and give the floor now to Ghana.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. Ghana wishes to extend our appreciation for your strong leadership and also to thank all member states for reaching these resolutions. Ghana will want to support the Republic of Congo's statements on the JEF as a major financing mechanism that supports the implementation of multilateral environmental agreements, especially in developing countries, and to urge donors to increase ambition to the GEF, especially for the 9th replenishment cycle. Thank you very much.

We would like to thank you for that. Now we give the floor to Indonesia.

Mr. President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, Indonesia wishes to convey its sincere appreciation to the presidency of the Union 7. Under the able leadership of Oman for the exemplary organization and stewardship of this Assembly. We also extend our gratitude to all Member States and stakeholders for their constructive engagement, spirit of cooperation, and dedication throughout the week. Indonesia is encouraged by the successful adoption of the resolution at UNEA 7, which underscores our shared commitment to advancing concrete, pragmatic, and balanced instrumental action. Regarding the Ministerial Declaration, Indonesia would like to take this opportunity to clarify its position on the use of the terminology Indigenous People and Local Communities, IPLC. Indonesia reaffirms its longstanding position toward Indigenous People and local communities, and at the same at the time emphasized that the application of this terminology should fully respect national legal and constitutional frameworks, as well as the diverse socio-cultural contexts of the member states. This constitutes Indonesia's interpretative understanding with respect to the Declaration. Mr. President, Indonesia remains steadfast in its commitment to work collaboratively and jointly with all member states to promote inclusive, equitable and sustainable environmental solutions, ensuring a resilient planet for both present and future generations. Thank you, Mr. President. Shukran ji.

Thank you very much, and I will give the floor to Bangladesh. Thank you.

Mr. President, it's very important to keep alive multilateralism and hope for the sake of vulnerable countries, nations, and communities, and put it forward. And thank you for the adoption, and congratulations to you and all concerned, all state parties. We meet at a moment when the triple planetary crisis is no longer an abstract warning but a lived reality. Climate disruption, collapsing biodiversity, and the spread of toxic pollution are eroding the foundations of development, stability, and human well-being. What this really means is that every decision we make here must rest on clear evidence and honest science. Strong, trusted science policy interfaces are not optional. They are the backbone of credible global action. We value the work of the IPCC and IPBES and we welcome the growing role of the new Intergovernmental Science Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution. Alongside this, UNEP's Global Environment Outlooks and the wider UN scientific bodies give us the knowledge we need to act with confidence and urgency. The task now is to ensure that this science directly informs UNA7 outcomes. Evidence must guide ambition, and ambition must translate into the— into real implementation on the ground. Our shared future depends on it. I thank you.

Thank you.

And now I give the floor to Switzerland.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of my delegation and the following 58 states: Australia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Iceland, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Niue, Norway, Palau, Panama, Peru, Senegal, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vanuatu, and the European Union and its 27 member states. Our delegations reaffirm a principle fundamental to this Assembly and to the global environmental governance: the replaceable role of the independent science. We meet amid the unfolding triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. These interconnected challenges require decisions grounded in the best available science. In this regard, we underscore the vital contributions of the IPCC, IPES, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemical Waste and Pollution, the Global Environmental Outlooks, and the many scientific and technical bodies across the UN system. We also acknowledge the invaluable work of research institutions and the wider scientific community, and recognize the contribution of indigenous knowledge. We regret the increasing instances in which scientific evidence and its uptake has been challenged or constrained in political processes. The experience during the preparation of the G7, particularly the difficulties— in finalizing its summary for policymakers reminds us how fragile the science-policy interface becomes when scientific integrity is not fully protected. Science-based decision-making is essential to understand and address environmental crises. Our delegations fully respect every state's rights to safeguard national interests, but science is not negotiable and must remain the basis for evidence-based policymaking. For this reason, the scientific work laying at the foundation of our policies must remain independent and free from political or financial interference. Science must be policy— policy relevant without ever becoming policy prescriptive. We call on all member states and partners to strengthen inclusive, transparent, and well-resourced science policy interfaces defend scientific integrity, and ensure that environmental governance at all levels is guided by sound scientific evidence. By doing so, we can ensure the clarity, coherence, and trust needed to navigate current environmental challenges and advance sustainable development for all. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. And I will give the floor to the Dominican Republic.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Distinguished colleagues, delegates, I'd like to congratulate you and your leadership and turn to all the member states for their perseverance and the goodwill they have demonstrated all throughout this very demanding week of Negotiations— we've looked at a number of very important themes and they strengthen our multilateral action. They show once again that when we work in a constructive fashion together, we can arrive at very significant breakthroughs for people and the planet. I'd like to thank you for the very positive outlook for all the colleagues that make it possible to have a resolution on Sargasso. This has an impact on Western Africa and the Caribbean, but we should reiterate our our question— questions regarding a number of cases, the lack of recognition of the devastating effects of this crisis for our countries. Our country has been very hard hit. It is a crisis. The impacts are not abstract. For more than a decade now, we have been hard hit by millions and millions of economic losses, damage to our coastlines, and these are risks for the health of our communities as well. We express our concern, a deep concern for some of the narratives that we've heard throughout the negotiations reaching the highest level. These narratives are bringing forward a dangerous precedent. We'd like to accept that there is a need— needed for decision-making which is science-based, and we should not be backtracking on language with this special situations of small developing states as well. And we— a lot of achievements were only reached through a lot of hard work. We don't want to jeopardize them in the current methodology of negotiation and the reality of a dynamic and a meeting which is a challenge, a disproportionate challenge for small delegations and for underrepresented regions as well. And finally, they can— weaken our integrity. Notwithstanding this, we maintain our hope alive. Our hope is alive and we can work together to secure a future and through equity, genuine contribution as well so that governance can be strengthened and better rise to the challenges of our needs in the future. Thank you.

Thank you. And now I give the floor to Sri Lanka.

Thank you, Chair, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, and colleagues. Sri Lanka extends its sincere appreciation to all member states, co-facilitators and negotiators, and UNEP for their overwhelming support in adopting the resolution on enhancing the meaningful participation participation of youth in environmental processes and education. Your collaboration and constructive engagement made this achievement possible, and we are truly grateful. As we move forward, Sri Lanka warmly invites all countries to work together to fully implement this resolution. By strengthening youth engagement at national, regional, and global levels, we can empower the next generation to contribute to innovative, inclusive, and lasting solutions to our planet's most pressing environmental issues. Let us turn this resolution into, and this action into hope for our young people and our shared future.

Thank you. And now I give the floor to Iran.

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. Mr. President, Madam Executive Director of UNEP, Excellencies, distinguished delegates. At the outset, I would like to express our appreciation to the President of UNIA-7 for his tireless efforts to lead us with utmost dedication and steadfastness to achieve Ministerial Declaration of UNIA-7. From the very beginning of the UNIA-7 process, this delegation has been committed to working closely and constructively with the President and member states to achieve the best possible outcomes for this meeting and in particular the ministerial declaration. In this regard, we appreciate all the efforts of the President and at the same time and in line with our national circumstances and principles position, we wish to place on record a number of considerations on the declaration. Regarding G7, we acknowledge the shortcomings identified in the report and the fact that it is— that its SPM was not adopted by member states. Furthermore, on matters related to the SDGs, the UN Close BBNJ, the Pact for the Future, and One Health approach, as well as the— on the crimes that affect the environment, we underscore that all reservations and positions taken during the process of UNIA-7 and other intergovernmental forums are reaffirmed and remain valid, and our considerations will continue to be guided by our national circumstances and priorities. We are of the firm view that providing support, in particular affordable, adequate, and predictable financing and technology is a commitment by the developed countries, especially with regards to the principle of CBDR, which plays a very crucial role in enabling developing countries in implementing their environmental plans and programs, and at the same time is the main part of international cooperation and collective action in regards to the environment. We do believe that a significant matter that has not been addressed in this declaration is the impact of unilateral coercive measures imposed by certain countries, which have severe adverse consequences for the environment. For a better state of environment at all levels, removal of UCMs and illegitimate sanctions would be imperative and indispensable. I would request that this EOP to be registered as official records of the meeting and to reflected in the report of UNEA-7.

Thank you.

I'll give the floor to the UK.

Excellencies, dear colleagues, it's a pleasure to speak today on behalf of the United Kingdom. Let me start by wishing our dear friends from the Republic of Kenya heartfelt congratulations and best wishes on Muhuri Day. And let me thank you, Your Excellency, and your presidency team for your inclusive approach in developing a strong ministerial declaration. I would like to recognize the hard work that you have put in, and on behalf of the UK, I thank you. What we say in this declaration matters. It sends important —important political signals to the wider international community about our commitments to global environmental action. Finding agreement across 193 member states is no easy task. Such an agreement requires flexibility and a willingness to compromise. It cannot contain everything we all want. To see. But this is a strong declaration with something for each of us to take away. I hope we can look beyond areas of disagreement and towards the future we want for future generations. I welcome the acknowledgement of the importance of tackling environmental crimes. These crimes threaten biodiversity, livelihoods, prosperity, and our national security. We must work together to eradicate this transboundary threat. I also welcome the commitment to promote gender equality and enhance the engagement of women and girls. When their voices are brought to the center of our decisions, we achieve solutions that are more just, more innovative and more sustainable. Elevating their voices is not optional. It is essential to ensuring a sustainable future. I am also pleased to see recognition of the importance of inclusive approaches that involve all stakeholders. The decisions we take are stronger, fairer and more more enduring when they are shaped not only by governments but by the voices of every person with an interest. Bringing these perspectives to the table is essential to building solutions that are grounded in reality, accountable to those most affected, and capable of driving lasting environmental stewardship. The environmental challenges we face are considerable. We must ensure we are placing sound science and evidence at the heart of decision-making. The latest assessments from IPBES and GEO should guide our actions and help us overcome our political differences. To quote Albert Einstein, "Politics is for the present, but an equation is for eternity." Science offers us a shared foundation, a place where evidence can guide us beyond political differences towards solutions that serve us all. I am therefore pleased to endorse the UNEA-7 Ministerial Declaration on behalf of the United Kingdom, and I thank you and your team.

United States of America.

Thank you. Thank you very much for allotting us the full amount of time that all the other member states have received. We appreciate the generous granting of an extra 2 minutes. I will finish my speech, um, the statement here. The United States is currently reviewing our participation in and funding for international organizations to ensure they advance U.S. national interests. Finally, we emphasize that the resolutions adopted at UNEA are non-binding. They create no new rights or obligations under international law, nor do they modify or alter existing ones. The United States stands ready to work with any nation that shares our goal of bringing UNEA and the broader UN system back to basics: mandate discipline, sound governance, and real measurable outcomes for the people we are here to serve. Thank you.

Alkalima le Barbados.

I give the floor to Barbados.

Thank you, Mr. President. I want to congratulate you and your team for having a successful declaration. I want to say, although consensus was made in this room, this cool edifice of a room, Barbados and a lot of small island developing states continue to sweat to get what we consider our rights recognized, the right to use the language that affect us and our people in the Caribbean. And oftentimes it is the simple inclusion for us to be recognized at the level of the text as a special group with special circumstances, or until recently to recognize that sargassum to us and the influxes is considered a major crisis. It is a crisis for the fisherfolk who can no longer have a catch to protect their families. It is a crisis for those who depend on tourism. It is a crisis for our coral, which are being destroyed on a daily basis. It is a crisis for us, and the term is reflective on our people, and we will continue to fight because we recognize that this fight must not be left for our generations. We will continue to get glottal fry ensuring that the text reflect the situations and the lived realities of our people. He who feels it knows it. We know it because we live it every single day. It is our lived reality, and when we ask for texts to reflect that, we are not asking asking for a want. We are asking for what is our right, our right as small island developing states who, by all admittance, contribute very little to the climate crisis, to the biodiversity crisis, to the pollution crisis. But equally and unfortunately we feel the most and harshest adverse effects. He who feels it knows it. Thank you. Shukran, Jazilan. Wa nahanu qadhalik.

Thank you very much. We do support you and will continue working together at the different environment fora to face those challenges and to solve them and to help everybody in the world, including the small island countries and the indigenous people to push forward adaptation to deal with the climate issues in all areas. I'd like to explain It was a long journey for the past 2 years. We've been listening to each other, we exchanged views, proposals, ideas. We spent days and years and months to reach this level of consensus and agreements and to set out an ambition that is accepted by the environment communities until we reach this very important station, but it's not the last station or stage. We still have so many to come. We need to build on what we achieved and we continue to work together and I'm sure we're going to achieve our objectives together. Let's work forward and on the basis of what we achieved and build on them. Thank you very much. And now I give the floor to Zambia.

Peter first. Thank you, Excellency, for the opportunity. Allow me to express our profound appreciation to you, Mr. President, for leadership and for guiding the Assembly in advancing sustainable resilient building initiatives as reflected in the various decisions and resolutions that the Assembly has adopted today. We also wish to thank all delegates for the spirit of unity, collaboration, and shared responsibility that has defined our deliberations during UNEA-7. UNEA-7 has once again demonstrated that when the international community comes together with purpose and conviction, we can advance solutions that move us closer to a safer, more resilient, and more sustainable planet. Mr. President, this Assembly has adopted important decisions and resolutions that chart a clear path towards addressing the triple planetary crisis on climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Resolution. But our success will not be measured by the number of documents agreed. It will be measured by our collective determination to translate these commitments into tangible actions on the ground. Zambia fully aligns itself with the ministerial declaration, resolutions, and decisions that have been adopted by the United Nations General Assembly at its 7th session. Mr. President, we leave Nairobi with renewed resolve to deepen cooperation at all levels And let us continue to build partnerships that leverage our diverse strengths, share technology, enhance capacity, and promote equitable access to opportunities for sustainable development. Above all, let us maintain the collective— the collective— collectivity to ensure that the decisions of UNEA VII deliver real benefits for the planet and for the present and future generations. This responsibility rests with all of us to turn words into action and commitments into meaningful results. Together, and only together, can we achieve the transformation needed to secure a resilient future. In conclusion, Mr. President, Zambia reaffirms its unwavering commitment to fully implementing the decisions, resolutions, and outcomes of UNEA VII. Guided by our national priorities and alignment with our global obligations, Zambia worked diligently to translate these agreed action into concrete measures that strengthen environmental protection, enhance climate resilience, and promote sustainable development for all our people and the global world. I thank you, Mr. President. Shukran keejer.

Thank you very much. I now give the floor to Australia.

Dear Excellencies and distinguished delegates, Australia is honoured to make this statement today, also on behalf of Japan, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, and Iceland. Let me start by wishing you all happy Jimhuru Day, a day that celebrates freedom, resilience, and the remarkable spirit of the Kenyan people. Let me also extend our deep deep appreciation to the Presidency for its committed and inclusive approach in leading us through UNEA 7 to adopt an ambitious and action-oriented ministerial declaration. Thanks to the UNEP Executive Director and everyone who worked so hard to make UNEA 7 a success. And also thanks to the member states. We cooperated here in Nairobi to negotiate and agree many resolutions and decisions. The world can see that UNEA has adopted actionable and meaningful resolutions to address the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. This is no easy task, as environmental policies also need to deliver local economic and social benefits, and most importantly, we have agreed UNEP's medium-term strategy to guide their vital work on global environmental governance, the environmental dimension of sustainable development, and to help countries deliver on their commitments under multilateral environment agreements. Also, we note UNEP and UNEA's work should be relying on the best available science and the GEO-7., as well as Indigenous knowledge, to guide our work to deliver evidence-based policy globally and at home. We have shown at UNEA 7 that environmental multilateralism can deliver. We have agreed to act on chemicals and waste, synergies, coral reefs, wildfires, antimicrobial resistance, and minerals and metals. We do regret However, that we weren't able to agree the resolutions on deep sea ecosystems and environmental crimes. We hope to be able to continue work on these important issues. We also recognize that climate change is contributing to the scale of environmental challenges, and this is interconnected with biodiversity loss and pollution. To not have climate referenced in key resolutions limits us from considering synergies across the Rio Conventions and delivering under multilateral environmental agreements. We thank the Secretariat and co-chairs of the contact groups for implementing the recommendations of the lessons learned from UNEA-6. As we worked late at night, we noticed that we were often unable to hear the views of all the major groups in the room here today. This includes women, children and youth, indigenous peoples, and NGOs. These groups have traveled far, as us, to participate here at UNEA-7. We must be inclusive and ensure that global environmental solutions incorporate the views of those most affected and at the forefront of these issues. Lastly, we welcome the UN AT reform initiative initiative, paving the path for a more efficient and effective UN system to tackle the triple planetary crises together. Here at UNEA-7, we have been able to reach consensus on vital actions to protect, conserve, and restore our environment, not just for us, but for the world and for future generations. Thank you.

Thank you very much, and I give the floor to Côte d'Ivoire.

Thank you, President. On behalf of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, I'd like to extend to you our congratulations on the successful conduct of this session and to also address our thanks to Executive Director of UNEP and her entire crew for the successful holding of this 7th General Assembly of UNEA. President, faced with the need to finance global environmental action, Côte d'Ivoire, my country, supports global environment Climate Change Adaptation Fund as the financing mechanism for MEAs to meet the urgent priorities, environmental priorities, and to adjust actions to realities on the ground. Côte d'Ivoire so supports the President and calls on all countries to agree on a significant contribution. On behalf of the President of my country, we'd like to thank you once again, to thank the Republic of Kenya for its hospitality and the good— and the smooth holding of this session. I thank you, President.

Thank you. And now I give the floor to Türkiye.

Executive Director, Excellencies, distinguished delegates. We are pleased to have completed our deliberations on the resolutions and decisions as well as outcome of UNEAS VII. As we continue to address the pressing environmental challenges that developing countries face in their pursuit of Sustainable Development, we have observed a significant number of draft resolutions submitted by these Member States this year. However, it is unfortunate that many resolutions had to be withdrawn due to the diverging views among Member States. This highlights the importance of preserving draft resolutions well in advance of Assembly meetings, accompanied by true justification and consultation with all Member States. As the UN has embarked on an ambitious reform process under the UN80 Initiative, there is a strong need for making our work more efficient within the UNEP as well, to be able to achieve consensual outcomes. In this framework, we welcome the decision on the provisional agenda, dates, and the venue of the 8th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly in which a number of improvements have been suggested to increase the efficiency of our work. In the meantime, we regret that the draft resolution on the karst ecosystems has been withdrawn by its proponent, Indonesia. We would have preferred this resolution adopted, considering the vital role of karst ecosystems as critical habitats for biodiversity and in climate mitigation. Mitigation. Yet we are very much pleased with the adoption of several important resolutions at this UNEA, including introduction of artificial intelligence in the work of UNEP, promotion of cooperation in addressing wildfires, advancement of sustainable solutions through sport, and addressing the environmental dimensions of antimicrobial resistance. As a technical arm of the UN, UNEP's depoliticized nature should be respected at all times, and our discussions should be guided by the spirit of consensus. Instead of polarization and securitization of environmental matters, our focus should be on how best to support developing countries in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and implementing the Paris Agreement. As a developing country, Turkey— Türkiye will continue to play a constructive role within the UNEP to strengthen environmental pillar of sustainable development in a balanced manner. Ensuring that the voice of the developing countries are heard, their finance, technology, and capacity needs are prioritized, and their socioeconomic development concerns are taken on board in the work of the UNEP. At last but not the least, as the host country of the presidency of COP 31, we are firmly committed to delivering a COP presidency process guided by the principles of transparency, inclusiveness, and multilateralism. In this context, we highly value the constructive contributions and support of all parties and stakeholders through this process. We would also like to express our great pleasure welcoming you all to Türkiye, the cradle of civilizations, this coming November. I do thank you.

Venezuela, please take the floor. Buenas tardes. Good afternoon.

We would like to thank you, sir, for the efforts you have deployed all throughout this mandate and for the success of this assembly in the declaration, the ministerial declaration, in which we have actions for the environment to bolster the health of the environment, but the— we'd like to posit our disappointment because there's no mention of the impact of unilateral measures that directly have an effect on countries such as Venezuela and constitute a major obstacle to sustainable development implementation of measures to protect the environment. The main objective of this assembly, we'd like to see that this is— have this statement in the record of the assembly. Thank you very much.

I give the floor to Colombia.

Thank you, Mr. President. Colombia We would like to thank all of the delegations for deploying their efforts, especially those submitting resolutions and being able to arrive at a declaration. Also, the role of facilitators in this process. Colombia also would— values the various contributions of indigenous peoples, of African descent, and others, and we have the inclusion for the first time to reference to Afro-descendant peoples and the strategy of a middle-of-the-road approach. But as UNEA, we see that the indigenous peoples' role is to be placed within these declarations because they play a major role in throttling the crisis. We make a an appeal so that we have a significant respective reference to all of these subjects of rights so that their voices and rights can be at the focus of protection. Colombia also celebrates the adoption of the resolution on minerals and metals submitted jointly with Oman, and after 4 years of being at a halt, see with their circularity greater coherence in sustainable transition. We'd also like to thank the authors and the Secretariat of UNEA-7 for their excellent work over the years and the Secretariat of the UNEA for the consultative process that we have for the new strategy. President, distinguished delegates, We reaffirm our rule in favor of the environment and we see this has been a very historical but difficult point in time. We should decide what has to change in the way we work together in order to meet this— keep pace with the crises that we see because the multilateralism is moving forward but more slowly. Than the various events. We need more bravery so as to be able to strengthen cooperation and so we can adopt the measures with the urgency. And we— as we move ahead for the— with the framework of biodiversity, this reflection will be very important if we need to have the implementation and we stop the loss of biodiversity and also the various agreements on climate and pollution. Colombia would like to congratulate the groups of women, the children and youth as well for the very important contributions they have made to the negotiation process. Mr. President, Colombia, a country with peace with nature, will continue offering its best efforts and contributions to strengthen the environmental multilateralism and promote sustainable solutions for a resilient planet. Thank you very much, Mr. President.

Fiji, please take the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President, for giving Fiji the floor. Bula bula, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, major group stakeholders, partners, and colleagues. As we conclude the 7th session of UNEA, Fiji extends its appreciation to the President, Chair, Co-Chairs, Co-Facilitators, and all delegates. Your dedication and cooperation have advanced many resolutions, including Fiji's. It is now our collective responsibility to ensure the effective delivery and implementation of the commitments made over the past 2 weeks. While we are grateful for these achievements, they were not achieved without significant challenges. In the past few days, multilateralism and the spirit of Nairobi has been tested more than in previous years. The politicization of science and the growing contention around long-standing agreements such as the Special Circumstances of Seeds, Equitable and Accessible Finance, and the Rights of Indigenous People and our right to the clean and healthy environment signal a concerning divergence from the fundamental principles that should guide our decisions. If these values are diminished here, the highest governing body on the environment, where else can we turn to? The triple planetary crisis does not discriminate. How and how much we can cope differs. It is disheartening that those most affected by the triple tackling multiple planetary crises are increasingly sidelined or must work harder each year or each year, often with small delegations and late hours, simply to retain language that was uncontroversial 5 years ago. The struggle to preserve critical paragraphs calling for broad cooperation on a crisis we did not create is becoming more difficult. For SIDS, multilateralism remains our only avenue to advocate for ambition and global cooperation to ease the burdens faced on the frontlines. If progress in multilateralism flutters or turns against us, where will we turn? This difficult reality, Excellencies, is that we have nowhere else to go to. The ocean does not negotiate, pause for brackets, or wait for consensus on the definitions of vulnerability. While we debate the meaning of words like emergency or crisis, rising tides continue to erode our vanua, our home, and carry away our ancestral heritage. We urge you to recognize this disconnect. As we sanitize tax to protect economic interests and avoid financial obligations, entire communities in Fiji are being forced to relocate from their homes, schools, or their sacred sites. Sights, leaving behind the only lives they have known. We must ask whether the resolutions adopted today are strong enough to save our communities on the frontlines, to stop critical ecosystems from being eroded now, or they are simply diplomatic gestures that do not drive real change. When we return to our capitals, the success of UNEA-7 should be measured by tangible reductions in harm, not by the number of resolutions adopted. As I deliver these remarks, the towns and cities in Fiji are recovering from another flooding, or probably getting ready for the next one. This reality may be a nudge on some of your minds, but for us it is a cycle, and our inactions towards this issue would only mean that others will follow soon. The politicization of our survival is a luxury for those distant from the front lines, but for us it is a reality We cannot accept. We have no choice but to hold the line. Therefore, we should not leave Nairobi with a sense of relief that the negotiations are over, but with a heavy sense of unfinished business and a burden of conscience. We challenge every delegate here to look beyond the present national interest and consider the judgment of the future. Do not let the spirit of Nairobi become a ghost of what we once aspired to be. Instead, let it be the fire that compels you to act with courage required to protect our common home. When we meet again, I hope that it will not be a fight for the retention of basic truths, but to report on the preservation of life of all people. I thank you.

I'd like to thank very warmly His Excellency, honourable members. I'd like to clarify that all of the matters, environmental matters and questions, will require a lot of work. We're going to have to continue deploying efforts, redouble our efforts to surmount all the various challenges. Here I'd like to point out that we have our agenda is still quite packed. It's a busy agenda and we're not here to make national statements or put forward legal reasoning. Now, if you have some things to say regarding specific items, could you please put them forward in a very terse way? We're not here to make national discourses, but time is now to raise questions. And the Executive Director, Madame the Executive Director, has been asking for the floor for some time. I'm going to give her the floor, then we'll come back to the statements for legal clarification.

Madame Executive Director, you have the floor.

Thank you very much. I would like to issue an apology on behalf of the Secretariat. And I will ask Ms. Radhika O'Halloran to kindly read it out.

Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you, Executive Director. I would like to sincerely apologize to the representative of the United States and to any other delegation whose microphone was switched off during the deliberation on the explanation of positions on the draft resolutions decisions that were adopted. This is a technical oversight on my part and a miscommunication to the technical teams who were in the room managing the meeting, and this is an oversight from the morning meeting which had national statements with the time limit of 3 minutes and with the provision of the microphone being switched off. The President subsequently decided to allow delegations to deliver their explanation of position for 5 minutes, and in this regard, I would sincerely once again I would like to apologize to the delegation of the United States and to any other delegation who were delivering their explanation of position and their microphone was switched off. Thank you, Excellency.

Shukran, Al-Mudirat.

I would like to thank our Executive Director for clarification. Thank you for that clarification. I would like to say once again that we still have a very busy agenda ahead of us. That's the reason why I would call upon Excellencies, honorable delegates, and the representative. If you have a legal position regarding any draft decision, draft resolution, of course you're welcome to take the floor. If that is not the case, then I would kindly request to not take the floor for long discourses because we, as I said, our agenda is still quite busy. I give the floor now to Malawi.

Mr. President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, Malawi commends all delegations for the spirit of flexibility, compromise, and constructive engagement that has guided our negotiations. The ability of member states to listen to one another, bridge differences, and ultimately maintain consensus is a strong testament to multilateralism at work. This achievement truly reflects and upholds the Nairobi Consensus—a spirit grounded in inclusivity, respect, and collective responsibility for our planet. Mr. President, The outcomes of UNEA 7 send a clear message that even in a world facing complex and interconnected environmental challenges, unity and cooperation remain our greatest strength. For a climate-vulnerable, least developed country like Malawi, consensus-based decisions are not merely procedural successes. They are lifelines that enable shared solutions, strengthen international cooperation, and tangible support for national implementation. Malawi welcomes the adoption of the resolutions, decisions, including the ambitious MTS and the ministerial declaration, and reaffirms its commitment to the effective and timely implementation. We underscore the the importance of adequate means of implementation, including finance, capacity building, and technology transfer, to ensure that no country is left behind. As we conclude this assembly, Malawi calls upon all member states and partners to carry forward the momentum and goodwill demonstrated here in Nairobi, and to translate our collective commitments into concrete actions on the ground. Malawi joins the cause for predictable funding and support for developing countries through GEF and MES. I thank you.

Last statement under this item. Tanzania, you have the floor.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairperson. The President, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on the leadership you have shown as we conclude the UNEA 7. The United Republic of Tanzania wish to join all member states for adopting the resolutions and decisions, in particular the adoption of the youth in the multilateral environmental agreement process and the need to enhance their education in their regard. Distinguished delegates, we encourage all the governments to ensure that their resolution is implemented at the national level, as the youth are the future of our environmental stewardship. We wish to reaffirm the commitment of the United Republic of Tanzania to implement all the resolutions and the decisions adopted today at UNEA 7, and we invite the international community and all partners to work together to ensure a better world through implementation of what we have agreed today. Thank you. Shukran, Jazielan.

Thank you very much. Now we can close this series of interventions. We'll close it with the intervention of the European Union. The floor now is extended to the European Union. This is a statement of a general nature.

President, I would like to make this statement on behalf of the EU and its 27 member states. I would like to thank the Omani presidency, together with the co-facilitators of the informal consultations, Belgium and Peru, for their continued efforts in helping us reach a consensual ministerial declaration. It is the view by the European Union and its member states that the declaration— reflects a delicate balance that shouldn't be disturbed. The Declaration includes a targeted set of actions the member states collectively and individually commit to tackle the global environmental crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, while addressing important linkages between them. The Declaration also supports UNEP in its role as the UN focal point and leading global— authority on environment, and in particular with regard to its role in building synergies with multilateral environmental agreements. It strengthens UNEP's mandate with regard to supporting circular economy, water resilience, halting biodiversity loss and pollution, artificial intelligence, as well as on crimes that affect the environment. The declaration also expresses the need and with a sense of urgency to engage constructively to develop an ambitious internationally legally binding instrument on plastic pollution. The EU and its member states reaffirm the essential role of science, which must retain its fundamental role informing decision-making to address the global environmental challenges and crisis. In this regard, we very much welcome with appreciation gratification that the 7th Global Environmental Outlook is part of the Ministerial Declaration. Mr. President, 10 years ago we collectively adopted the Paris Agreement, a landmark agreement to take collective action to respond to the climate emergency with clear science-based objectives of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. We have made progress, but much remains to to be done. A few weeks ago, in the final outcome of COP30 in Belém, parties showed their unity in celebration of the 10-year anniversary and reaffirmed without ambiguity their determination to accelerate implementation of their commitments in the years to come. Mr. President, mindful of the overall balance reached after extensive consultations and the tireless efforts, the EU and its member states are ready to support the declaration in its entirety. Today, through the adoption of this declaration, UNEA shows the Nairobi spirit is still alive. Thank you.

Shukran, Jazzy Helen.

Thank you very much indeed. Now, at this juncture, we're going to move on to the draft resolution for strengthening the United Nations Environment Programme submitted by Mexico, and I would like now to give the floor to Mexico accordingly.

Thank you, Mr. President. We would like to I request the Secretary that this statement go into the record. Mexico submitted this draft resolution in order to provide a reply to a concern that we hear time and time again. It's necessary to strengthen the UNEA and we must consolidate the governance, international environment governance, and we have seen that there is increasing fragmentation of the environment agenda and proliferation of parallel processes. This springs from resources that are not being used that could be used in order to finance the various challenges at hand, and also institutional, technical, cooperative, and coordination capacities as well that must be fully approved and made use of. We have— Mexico would like to reaffirm its commitment with the mandate of UNEA in Nairobi and also its scientific leadership as well and the strengthening of its headquarters as well. This resolution focuses on the elements that we saw on Wednesday and those from the discussions held with the delegations as well. The text which we are looking at today was negotiated ever since the open-ended meeting in the— of the permanent representatives. This is the result of the language facilitators, the discussions and consultations held in recent days as well. We would like to be very clear. The content has been discussed with full transparency and it reflects a very reasonable point of equilibrium. This environment governance is something that's very important and would be made possible by this resolution, which should be acceptable to all delegations. This is a text— a text of consensus, a consensus text, and more than anything else, it reflects the strong political commitment of Mexico to arrive at results. The resolution complies with the rules of procedure. And complies with our rules of procedure as well. And this is something that's very important. It follows all of the various rules, and we should attach the same importance to all resolutions. That's the reason why we should give them the same amount of time. These are the legitimate interest of member states as well and our compliance with the rules. This shows once again the urgent nature to revise our working methods and modify them to avoid that each and every one— each and every one of the measures given enough time. Mexico wants to strengthen the mandate of the UNEA as the only UN seat, a site for this activity. We want to have diverse universal representation and our commitment to diversity, geographic and diversity and inclusion of developing countries. We see that there is a lack of willingness of effectiveness and the search for some member states to limit the mandate of UNEA. There are major concessions that have been made and they bring about backtracking in some of the language that was agreed upon. I conclude recording that Mexico is a very important country of international right and we value the spirit of Nairobi. And for all of these reasons, for all of the aforementioned, Mexico we would like to request that we remove the resolution from the consideration of the plenary, and we reserve the right to present it in the future, at a future time. We would like to thank you, Mr. President, for your attention to this matter. Thank you very much.

I would like to thank Mexico for their very balanced position and their position that is in favor of multilateralism and which calls upon the spirit of Nauru. We'd like to thank Mexico its government and its people as well for the flexibility they've shown and their understanding as well. Now, having listened to the various interventions, resolution decisions, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks— thanks, appreciation that Mexico has withdrawn this resolution. And here I would like to express my appreciation to the vice facilitators as well who have managed the negotiations, very complex negotiations regarding the various draft resolutions and draft decisions all throughout this session this week. And so now we have finished our review of item 12 on the agenda. I see that Kenya is requesting the floor. Kenya.

Mr. President, ministers, ladies and gentlemen, I thank you, Mr. President, for giving me the floor. Kenya expresses gratitude to Mexico for presenting the draft resolution on strengthening the role of the United Nations Environment Programme headquarters in Nairobi to address environmental challenges and enhance multilateral cooperation to address effective multilateral governance. As all of you are aware, Kenya co-sponsored the original draft resolution. We continue to believe the original draft resolution and its abridged version tabled by Mexico this evening has great merits. We acknowledge there was insufficient time allocated for productive exchange views on the draft. This does not in any way diminish its importance. We believe the draft would have been one of those adopted this evening if there was enough time to consider it. Nairobi is well known for upholding the spirit of multilateralism and of adopting UNAID decisions and resolutions by consensus. Processes. While I urge that this session upholds this tradition, I equally urge the session to keep the spirit of collective search for solutions of global impact. In that regard, I urge this Assembly to take a decision that would keep the discussions alive as well as enable the proponents of the draft resolution as well as other interested member states to reintroduce the draft for consideration at UNEA 8.

Shukran limu dahalatkum, wa shukran lakum, wa shukran lirooh Nairobi. Wa bi hadha takune— Thank you, Nairobi.

We have no relay here. We're waiting for the English. I would like at this time call upon the Assembly to return to examination item 7 on the agenda, participation of the stakeholders, stakeholders' input, and we'll be hearing a declaration from the stakeholders and so I would like to— Daniel Fernández Martínez, the coordinator of the women's group, you have the floor, madam.

Thank you for the floor. On behalf of the children and youth major groups, the women's major group, the scientific and technological community major groups, business and industry— major groups, local authorities major groups, NGOs major groups, and farmers major groups, workers and trade unions major groups, we must express our deep concern at the shrinking civic space between the UNEA-7. While this Assembly is meant to embody inclusivity and multi-stakeholder dialogue, we have witnessed— a severe narrowing of opportunities for civil society to meaningfully contribute. Our interventions have been limited to symbolic remarks while decisions are negotiated behind the doors. We are seeing a regression. This reduction of the civic space is deeply damaging to UNEA. Environmental governance cannot be resilient if it excludes those most affected by pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss. Across the 9 major groups and the more than 1,300 organizations that they represent, we bring knowledge and lived experiences that governments cannot know. When this knowledge and perspective are sidelined, policy outcomes outcomes suffer an implementation weakness. It is particularly concerning that governments are now split into member states grouping who value independent and robust scientific evidence and those who don't. This philosophical different communities in a consensus-based approach are tearing UNEA apart. Voting is utilized in other parts of UN This needs to be considered. This is leading to that most precious thing of science-informed policies supported by the community being removed from resolutions. This sets a dangerous outlook, meaning that governments will make decisions about our life based entirely on politics and power struggles without need for evidence. We urge UNEA VII to reaffirm its commitment to inclusive participation by guaranteeing transparent and accessible processes for all major groups and stakeholders, input in negotiations consistent with the UNEA rules and established UN principles of access to information, participation, and accountability.— and then the mechanism for accountability that ensures our contributions are reflected in the outcomes. Adopting whole-of-society and whole-of-government approaches. Major groups and stakeholders stand ready to contribute solutions and to support implementation, but we cannot do so if our voices are sidelined. UNEA must rise to the challenge of its own mandate to be transparent, transparent, participatory, and effective forum where all actors, including governments and representatives from all major groups, work together for a resilient planet. The Indigenous Peoples' Major Group has prepared its own statement and requests the floor to speak as rights holders. They convey their disappointment that this process has taken steps backwards, erasing the rights and voices of the Indigenous Peoples, as well children and youth prepare their own statement. Thank you.

Shukran jazilan.

Thank you very much indeed. Now we have 3 further requests for the floor, and I would kindly call upon you to stick to the time limit. At present, now at this time, The statement which we just heard was in representation of a group, but I'd like to call upon UNE to give the floor to other groups as well. They are a group, the indigenous peoples and children and youth, in that order.

Hello, my name is Lisa Epo from Botswana, speaking on behalf of indigenous peoples. UNIA VII has failed indigenous peoples and therefore the planet. It has completely— it is completely unacceptable that our rights and participation have been erased from negotiation spaces and all resolutions. For too long, the system of power embedded within these processes have prioritized corporate greed over the health of our planet Indigenous peoples are at the heart of all environments and ecosystems, yet we continue to face exclusion, land disposition, violence, killings, and criminalization for protecting our lands, waters, and territories. We must be centered in all environmental decision-making and cannot allow this constant backtracking of our already established rights. We are forced to fight to participate in an institution that is systematically eroding our right to full and effective participation despite being recognized in international law as per the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous peoples are rights holders, not stakeholders, and we strongly oppose the diminishment of our rights through conflation with undefined groups in civil society. Let us be very clear, we are not asking to leave anyone behind or delete any groups, only that they are not conflated with us. Member States must honor their obligation to indigenous peoples. We thank those that have engaged and supported our positions. Real solutions for the planet cannot be achieved without us. As UNEA closes, we urge this Assembly to move from rhetoric to action and to uphold our inclusion and participation in all environmental decision-making. UNEA VII has missed a critical opportunity this week Had the member states honored their obligations, we would have decisions and resolutions informed and strengthened by our indigenous knowledge systems, sciences, and practices. Continuing to rely only on dominant systems of knowledge and power that have created the planetary crisis will never achieve the transformative change that is needed for a truly thriving planet. Finally, despite the disappointing outcome of UNEA VII, indigenous peoples, who are the Earth's first defenders, are still here. Here, and we will continue to defend our rights, our territories, and the future of our planet. Thank you.

Shukran al-kalima, Rabia.

Thank you. I give the floor to the Arab Group now. You have the floor. The floor goes to the Arab Group.

Chairman, yes, I apologize for interrupting you, but the Secretary-General of the Arab Group. Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, heads of delegation, the Assembly, arriving at the end of the work of UNEA-7, which represents a major turning point for the protection of the environment. This time I have the pleasure on behalf of the Secretary-General of the Arab League to speak on the favor of the President of the UNEA-7 and the Authority— Environment Authority in Oman for the excellent handling of the work of this session and also for the efforts turned in all throughout the last two years in order to provide for the excellent organization and the success that we've reached at the end of this assembly, thanks to high-level diplomacy, very clear impact for the success marked by this assembly with the adoption of the decisions for the strengthening of international cooperation. Also, I'd like to express my heartfelt thanks to the team that has worked alongside us and contributed in a very effective way to secure the success. Ladies and gentlemen, we've always sought to have a balanced— strike a balanced work program to provide for respect and cooperation at the environmental level, and we underlined our determination to cooperate with all of the partners in order to attain results in this assembly and to surmount all of the challenges. I thank you for your kind attention.

And the President thanks him. Before moving on to the next agenda item, I would like to give the floor to the group of children and youth.

Children and youth, you have the floor. Thank you, President. My name is Assel Abou Tarab, speaking on behalf of the Children and Youth Major Group. We align ourselves with the joint statement delivered on behalf of the 9 Major Groups and wish to briefly add 2 points. Firstly, we warmly welcome the adoption of the resolution enhancing the meaningful participation of youth in environmental processes and on environmental education, tabled by Sri Lanka and sincerely co-sponsored by Bhutan and Burkina Faso So we sincerely thank these countries as well as all member states that engage constructively through the negotiations for the leadership and openness to dialogue. This resolution is critical step towards institutionalizing full, effective, meaningful, constructive, and inclusive youth participation across UNEA and UNA processes, and we stand ready to support its implementation in practice We thank you all. Second, we wish to underscore the urgency of translating UNEA commitments into concrete action. Safeguarding the planet for current and future generations requires accelerated and inclusive action that upholds the principle of intergenerational equity. Decisions taken today will shape the environmental realities inherited by young people and future generations. And must therefore reflect long-term responsibility and justice. We stand ready to work constructively with Member States, UNEP, and all relevant major groups and stakeholders to support the effective implementation of these resolutions and UNEA outcome.

We thank you for the floor. Shukran, yaziel alaikum. Thank you very much. On behalf of all delegations here, I would like to thank all major groups and stakeholders for their participation and contribution to UNEA 7 and for their commitment to making this world a better place for all.

The Assembly has thus concluded its consideration of Agenda Item 7. I would like to turn the Assembly's attention to Agenda Item 13, Election of Officers. In accordance with Rule 18 of the Rules of Procedure, the United Nations Environment Assembly will elect a President, 8 Vice Presidents, and a Rapporteur from among its members for its 8th session, with the term of office starting at the closure of the 7th session until their successors are elected. That is to say, until the closure of the next regular session. We shall first take up the election of the President of the Assembly for its 8th session. In this regard, the Secretariat has been informed that the Group of Latin America and Caribbean States has endorsed the candidature of His Excellency Matthew Samuda, Minister of Water, Environment and Climate of Jamaica, as the President of the Eighth Session of the Assembly. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to elect His Excellency Matthew Samuda, Minister of Water, Environment and Climate of Jamaica, by acclamation as the President of the Eighth Session of the Environment Assembly. Hearing no objection, it is so decided. We congratulate ourselves and the group of Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as the state of Jamaica, as well as His Excellency Matthew Simoda, Minister of Water, Environment and Climate of Jamaica, for his election by acclamation as President of the Eighth Session of the Environment Assembly. He has been elected President of the Eighth Session of the Environment Assembly. On my behalf and on behalf of the Assembly, as well as the Secretariat, I would like to wholeheartedly congratulate him and wish him all success. Now it is time to elect vice presidents. Distinguished delegates, I now invite the Assembly to proceed to elect the 8 vice presidents. In this regard, The Secretariat has been informed of the following: The group of African states has endorsed His Excellency Mr. Ibrahim al-Arabi Munir, Minister of the Environment of Libya, and His Excellency Hamed Youssef Massaouni, Minister of State, Vice President's Office, Union and Environment of the United Republic of Tanzania. The Group of Asia-Pacific States has endorsed His Excellency Mosesi Bolithavo, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change of Fiji, and His Excellency Damika Batabindi, Minister of Environment of Sri Lanka. The Group of Eastern European States has endorsed His Excellency Her Excellency Nino Tadila Sivashvili, First Deputy Minister of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, and Her Excellency Aniko Raices, Minister of Agriculture in Georgia. The group of Latin American and Caribbean states has endorsed Her Excellency Jewel Clarke, Minister of Sustainable Development Environment, Climate Action and Constituency Empowerment of Saint Kitts and Nevis. The group of Western European and other states has endorsed His Excellency Joschka Vlasbarth, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety of Germany. Hali anatabir. May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to elect the following as Vice Presidents of the UN Environment Assembly for its 8th session by acclamation: His Excellency Musisi Bulitavu, Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Fiji; His Excellency Jochen Flassbarth, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety of Germany. Her Excellency Nino Tadliservili, First Deputy Minister of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia. Her Excellency Annika Reiss, Minister of State for Environmental Policy of Hungary. His Excellency Ibrahim al-Arabi Munir, Minister of Environment of Libya. Her Excellency Jewel Clarke, Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Climate Action and Constituency Empowerment of Saint Kitts and Nevis. His Excellency Dhammika Pathabindi, Minister of Environment of Sri Lanka, and His Excellency Hamad Youssef Massaouni, Minister of State of the United Republic of Tanzania. Seeing no objection, it is so decided. With regard to the post of rapporteur, I have been informed by the Secretariat that the group of Western European and other states has endorsed His Excellency Felix Wurthi, Ambassador of the Environment and Head of International Affairs Division Federal Office for the Environment, Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications of Switzerland. May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to elect by acclamation His Excellency Felix Berti, Ambassador for the Environment, Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications of Switzerland, as Rapporteur of the 8th Session of the Environment Assembly. Seeing no objection, it is so decided. On behalf of the Assembly, I extend my warmest congratulations to the President the Vice Presidents and the Rapporteur on their election to the Bureau of the Eighth Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly. I now wish to give the floor to His Excellency Matthew Samuda, Minister of Water, Environment and Climate of Jamaica and President-elect, to say a few words.

Your Excellency Abdullah bin Ali Al Amri, President of UNIA7, Ms. Inga Andersen, Executive Director, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, Unep team members. Mr. President, I start by honoring the yeoman contribution through your presidency of UNEA-7. Your work has led to the important outcomes which have been accepted today, with this Assembly accepting a strong ministerial declaration, several important resolutions and decisions accepted by the Assembly, along with strong learnings from leadership dialogues. The critical role of UNEA as the global decision-making body for matters related to the environment should not be lost on any of us. This is a platform that engenders collaboration, coordination, and partnership between and among governments and major groups. It is for that reason I extend gratitude also to Ms. Inger Andersen and the Secretariat, and indeed every member of the UNEP team for the daily commitment to environmental protection and restoration. Colleagues, I am deeply honored and profoundly grateful for the trust you have placed in me by electing me President for the United Nations Environment Assembly 8th Meeting. I extend my heartfelt thanks to each Member State for this vote of confidence, and I accept this responsibility with humility, determination, and a clear sense of purpose. Today we gather at a moment when the world is asking not only for solutions but for leadership rooted in courage, cooperation, and conviction. Environmental stewardship is no longer an isolated agenda item. It is the defining challenge of our century. The decisions we make within the Assembly will continue to shape economies, societies, and the lives of generations yet unborn. I am especially mindful that this presidency is not an individual achievement, but a reflection of the collective commitment of the Latin American and Caribbean region and my home Jamaica. I stand here on behalf of all countries that understand from lived experience the urgency of protecting our natural world. Our voices carry the weight of communities,— on the front lines of climate impacts, communities that cannot afford delay and do not have the luxury of indifference. As President, I pledge to foster an Assembly marked by inclusivity, transparency and practical action. We must work to strengthen the science-policy interface, scale up financing for adaptation and resilience, and accelerate the transition to sustainable production and consumption systems. Systems, and we must do so while ensuring that no state, large or small, feels excluded from the solutions we craft. The environmental challenges before us are complex, but our pathway is clear: heightened ambition, deeper cooperation, and unwavering commitment to implementation. Let this Assembly demonstrate that multilateralism, when guided by equity and shared purpose, is still the most powerful tool we possess. I thank you once again for this extraordinary honour. I thank you as well on behalf of the newly elected Vice Presidents and Rapporteurs. We look forward to working with all delegations, UN agencies, civil society, the private sector, the scientific community, and our young people, who continue to inspire hope and urgency in equal measure. Together, let us rise to the moment. Together, let us ensure that the environment is not only a global priority, but a global responsibility—one we meet with integrity, innovation, and unity. I also add my voice and well wishes to the people of the Republic of Kenya on Jamhuri Day. I leave you with a quote from my favorite cartoon growing up: which was Captain Planet, incidentally. Blaming each other is a waste of time. The only thing that matters is changing what's wrong. I thank you.

Thank you, Your Excellency, and I wish you all and the Vice President, the rapporteur, all the best in your positions. This concludes the Assembly's consideration of Agenda Item 13. I now invite the Assembly to consider Agenda Item 11, entitled Provisional Agenda: Dates and Venue of the Eighth Session of the Environment Assembly, for which we have a draft decision issued as Document UNEP EA.7/L.11. May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to adopt this draft decision? I see no objections. It is so decided. It is my pleasure to announce that the next session of the Environment Assembly will be convened at the UNEP headquarters in Nairobi from December 6th to December 10th, 2027. Wabid Alik. This concludes our consideration of Agenda Item 11. Let's now move to Agenda Item 14, Other Matters. Is there any delegation that wishes to present any other matters for consideration by the Assembly? I see no request for the floor. The Assembly has thus concluded its consideration of Agenda Item 14. Awaadullahaan. I now wish to turn your attention to Agenda Item 15, Adoption of the Report of the Session. I would like to now give the floor to our Rapporteur, Her Excellency Jewel Clarke, Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Climate Action and Constituency Empowerment of Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Thank you, Mr. President. Distinguished delegates, this morning the Secretariat circulated the draft report of the 7th session of the UN Environment Assembly, issued as UNEP/EA.7/L1. I therefore have the honor to introduce the report and submit it to the Committee for its adoption. The draft report contains the following chapters: Chapter 1, Opening of the Session. Chapter 2, Adoption of the Agenda and Organization of Work. Chapter 3, Credentials of Representatives. Chapter 4, Report of the Committee of Permanent Representatives. Chapter 5, International Environmental Policy and Governance Issues. Chapter 6, Program of Work and Budget and Other Administrative and Budgetary Issues. Chapter 7, Stakeholder Engagement. Chapter 8, Contributions to the Meetings of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development and Implementation of the Environmental Dimension of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Chapter 9, High-Level Segment. Chapter 10, Cooperation with Multilateral Environmental Agreements. Chapter 11, Provisional Agenda, Dates and Venue of the Eighth Session of the Environment Assembly. Chapter 12, Election of Officers. Chapter 13, Other Matters. Chapter 14, Adoption of the Report of the Session. And Chapter 15, Closure of the Session. I wish to inform member states that this report is provisional as it does not yet reflect the proceedings of the meetings held on Thursday Wednesday and today. The final report will include the proceedings of all plenary meetings as well as the summaries of the national statements, the MEA dialogues, the leadership dialogues, and the multi-stakeholder dialogue. The report will be subsequently made available in all official languages after the closure of the Assembly. Thank you, Mr. President.

Shukran. I thank Her Excellency Jewel Clarke for her statement. May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to adopt the draft proceedings of the United Nations Environment Assembly at its— 7th session, issued as L.1 and pending revisions. I see no objections. It is so decided. The Assembly has thus concluded its consideration of Item 15. We will now turn to Agenda Item 16, entitled Closure of the Session. Are there any statements? Of general nature. Allow me, therefore, to now invite Kenya. I recognize Kenya.

Kenya, you have the floor. Your Excellency Abdullah bin Ali Al-Amri, President of the United Nations Environmental Assembly and President of the Environment Authority of the Sultanate of Oman, Your Excellency Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of Kenya. I thank you for this opportunity. We congratulate you, Mr. President, and the Bureau for running the affairs of this session in an extraordinary manner. I also extend my appreciation to the Executive Director, Inger Andersen, and her team for facilitating this very important intergovernmental process. The last two weeks has been extremely busy and demanding on all. Kenya appreciates the collective spirit of multilateralism and consensus building that has seen us through. The decisions, resolutions, and the ministerial declarations we have adopted will help the global global community move towards resolving some of the most pressing environmental challenges today. They will help the world shape partnership, redirect investments, and align public policies to achieve maximum global public goods. Your Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, next year Kenya will host the Ministerial Committee of the Forests and Climate Leaders Partnership, the Global REDD+ Summit in collaboration with the Secretariat of UNFCCC to strengthen the role of forests and accelerate actions towards the deforestation roadmap. Further, Kenya will host the Global Observance of the World Desertification and Drought Day and welcomes you. Your presence will not only enrich the observance but also reaffirm our shared commitment to safeguarding the world's drylands and supporting the people who depend on it. As we celebrate the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists in 2026, we hope the global community will stand with Kenya in recognizing the immense value of this landscape and those who steward them. We look forward to welcoming you to Kenya as we rally the world to act on drought before drought acts on us. Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, in the spirit of strengthening the UNEP headquarters in Nairobi, the African Ministerial Conference on Environment, AMSEN, decided to support the location of the physical secretariat of the Intergovernmental Science Policy Panel on Chemicals and Waste here at UNEP. I appeal to all of you to support this decision during the upcoming first panel meeting in February 2012. COP26, as it will strengthen international environmental governance and promote inclusive and equitable geographical representation. Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, to conclude, Kenya remains committed to continued collaboration with all nations, people, and stakeholders towards addressing the triple planetary crisis and other environmental challenges. Continued solidarity, multilateralism, resilience, and shared purpose is what must continue to guide the world in caring for environment, fighting poverty, and ensuring a resilient planet. To the government of Jamaica, Kenya extends its sincere congratulations on your election as the incoming president UNEA-8. I equally congratulate all the members of the UNEA-8 Bureau. The government of Kenya affirms full and unequivocal support to you as you assume your duties. To delegates, special appreciation to all of you for the work well done. The weekend has started, and I urge you to take some time to relax and enjoy the beauty of the magical Kenya in our sandy beaches and national parks. And to all delegates that have expressed their best wishes as we celebrate 62 years of independence on this Mamuri Day. We thank you. So we wish you safe travel home and welcome you back to Kenya anytime. Karibu nitena.

Thank you very much, Excellency, and I wholeheartedly thank the government and people of Kenya for all the support that our environmental efforts have enjoyed. We consider Nairobi as the capital of the environment. It is also my pleasure to congratulate Kenya government and people and wish them all prosperity on the occasion of the Jamhuri Day. I now give the floor to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Thank you, Mr. President. We would like to make a very general statement of thanks to you, Your Excellency, as the President of UNEA, as well as your great team for all the great work you've undertaken and all parties and their collaborative spirit. We would also like to state for the record that Saudi Arabia is fully committed to ensure that we consistently make ambitious progress through consensus, the centrality of transparent and member-driven processes, and full and continuous consistency of all of our work with the mandates, principles, provisions, and independence of each MEA. This is our reading, of course, and understanding of every resolution and decision we take. We also want to emphasize a few very important points. The principles that we uphold, that of CBDRC, of our respective pathways and obligations, of sufficient and predictable means of implementation to developing countries, the strength and resilience of our independent MEAs, the necessity of international cooperation, and an enabling environment for that cooperation are not divisive issues. In fact, they are and will always be the bedrock of what brings us all together to work on our common challenges. And with that, we'd like to congratulate Jamaica and look forward to working together to ensure that we uphold and operationalize these principles in all the work that we do moving forward. Thank you.

Shukran. Thank you very much to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I now recognize Namibia.

Namibia, you have the floor. Mr. President of UNEA-7, Madam Executive Director of UNEP, Excellencies, distinguished delegates. Namibia is delivering this statement on behalf of the African Group. At the outset, the African Group wishes to express its sincere appreciation to the government and the people of the Republic of Kenya for the warm hospitality extended to our delegation during our stay in Nairobi. The African Group further reiterated its deep appreciation to you, Mr. President, for your exemplary leadership throughout this process. Your guidance has been instrumental in steering this assembly towards a successful and constructive Conclusion. We also extend our gratitude to the chair of the committee of the permanent representatives of the bureau and the dedicated team co-facilitators for their tireless effort, often working late into, into the night to ensure that the draft documents were finalized and agreed upon by consensus. The group commends the remarkable spirit of flexibility, goodwill, and constructive engagement demonstrated by member states during the negotiation process. These collective efforts have enabled us to reach agreements that reflect our shared commitment to the environment. We equally recognize the outstanding contribution of the Director-General of UNON and the Executive Director of UNEP, together with their teams, for the excellent organization and coordination and logistic support that facilitated the smooth conduct of this Mr. President, the African Group believes that the resolution and decision adopted today constitute an important milestone in our collective effort to address the pressing environmental challenges facing our planet. As these instruments move into the implementation phase, we expect that their execution will be guided by the principle of transparency, geographical balance, equity, and due consideration of the varying needs, capacity, and level of vulnerability of countries and regions. We trust that adoption of this instrument will be— strengthen the global environmental architecture and support all nations in advancing sustainable development. Mr. President, we celebrate the successful outcome of the Assembly. The African Group wishes to express its concern regarding the treatment of two essential elements that remain critical to our engagement, namely the principle of common but differentiated responsibility and the means of implementation. Despite the wealth of the principles precedent across international instruments adopted by the UN General Assembly, the various UN bodies, all demonstrating the necessity of recognizing differing national capacity and responsibility. The group observed attempts during this process to weaken references to these principles. For the African Group resolutions can only be meaningful if accompanied by robust and predictable means in implementation. This includes adequate, accessible, and sustainable financial resources, technology transfer, and capacity-building support. We therefore call for enhanced solidarity amongst member states to ensure that no country is left behind in implementing the commitment adopted at this assembly. Mr. President, in conclusion, the African Group reaffirms its unwavering commitment to working closely with member states, UN entities, and partners to ensure the effective implementation of the decision adopted at UNEA 7. We stand ready to continue engaging constructively in the shared pursuit of a healthy planet and sustainable future for all. I thank you for your attention.

Thank you very much. I recognize Tuvalu. Your Excellencies, please be as brief as possible because delegations have to travel tonight and early tomorrow morning.

Mr. President, Excellencies, distinguished guests, I have the honor to deliver the statements on behalf of the Pacific Small Island Developing States. As we conclude the 7th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly, the Pacific States extend our sincere appreciation to all delegations for their hard work, commitment, and collaboration throughout the past 2 weeks, beginning at OECPR and continuing here at UNEA 7. The negotiations have been challenging, challenging at times, but they have also demonstrated the value of multilateralism and the importance of working together to confront the triple planetary crisis. Mr. President, on behalf of the Pacific Seeds, Tuvalu wishes to express its deep gratitude to every member state for the flexibility, constructive engagement, and spirit of compromise that enabled us to advance a draft resolution on coral reefs, which was led by Fiji. The health and resilience of coral reefs are central to the survival, economies, and well-being of Pacific people and to marine biodiversity globally. Your willingness to work collaboratively to find balanced language addresses concerns to concerns and uphold scientific integrity reflects genuine commitment to safeguarding these critical ecosystems. We thank you sincerely for this collective achievement. Mr. President, the Pacific Seeds also wish to acknowledge Vanuatu's leadership in advancing the draft resolution on deep sea ecosystems, which is an issue of profound importance to our Blue Pacific Region and to the global ocean. Although the text did not reach consensus, Vanuatu, after careful consideration and in the interest of preserving unity, made the difficult decision to withdraw the draft. We sincerely thank all delegations that engaged constructively throughout the process. The divergent issues expressed underscore the complexity of deep sea governance. Yet the respectful and open exchanges during the negotiations demonstrated that member states remain committed to science, dialogue, and a precautionary approach. We commend Vanuatu for its principled leadership and for prioritizing the integrity of this Assembly. Even when compromise proved out of reach. As PIsIDS, our environmental priorities are not abstract policy matters. They speak directly to the resilience, sovereignty, and survival of our island nations. The outcomes of UNESS-7, including resolutions on chemical and waste circularity, ecosystem prevention, digitalization, on adaptation, regional cooperation, and the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment will have real impacts across our region. We appreciate the efforts made by delegations to ensure that the special circumstances of SIDS were recognized throughout the Assembly's decision, and we look forward to working closely with UNEP and partners to translate these these outcomes into action on the ground. Mr. President, we also extend our heartfelt appreciation to the government of Kenya for its generous hospitality and warm welcome. Nairobi has once again provided space where nations can come together, negotiate in good faith, and advance solutions for a healthier planet. Tuvalu and the Pacific seats thank Kenya for hosting us so graciously. We thank— we further thank UNEAS 7th President, the Bureau, the Committee of Permanent Representatives, and especially the UNEAS Secretariat for their leadership, professionalism, and unwavering support. The Secretariat's guidance across OECPR high-level events and the negotiations on dozens resolutions have been invaluable. We recognize the long hours, the technical expertise, and the diplomacy that went into enabling this Assembly to function effectively. To our co-facilitators and chairpersons across all clusters and working groups, thank you for your patience, your impartiality, and your dedication to building consensus. Processes. Your efforts have shaped the constructive outcomes we celebrate today. Mr. President, as we look ahead, the Pacific Seeds reaffirm our commitment to working with all Member States, UNEP, and regional partners to implement UNA-7 outcomes in ways that strengthen resilience and environmental stewardship across our the Blue Pacific continent. The decisions taken here in Nairobi must translate into real improvements for communities on the front lines of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. In closing, the Pacific Seas remain guided by the principles of solidarity, equity, and shared responsibility. We leave UNEP 7 with renewed determination to protect our ocean, safeguard our ecosystems, and secure a healthy, sustainable, and resilient future for present and future generations.

I thank you, Mr. President. Shukran, Gesellan.

Thank you very much. I now give the floor to Costa Rica. I also would like you to heed the time limit because, as I said, delegations have their flights tonight and tomorrow, so please speak as briefly as possible. Costa Rica, you have the floor.

Thank you very much, President, Executive Director. I'll be very brief. We'd like to thank the people and government of Kenya for the warm hospitality this week. We'd like to reiterate our congratulations to you for conducting our Assembly We came to Nairobi with the belief that the theme of the Assembly, "Azamtsi Sustainable Solutions for a Resilient Planet," was essential for our survival. We have taken part in this process in good faith, contributing to negotiations in both formal and informal negotiations, striving to find consensus on draft resolutions and decisions. Nevertheless, President, we can't hide that We have a lot of challenges and work ahead of us. We are extremely concerned by the efforts that have gone in vain to reform environmental governance. We have even regressed on some essential agreements in terms of gender equality and other matters. We need essential conditions to be met in order to move forward to our negotiations in the future. We, you know, concerned that science has been considered not a non-negotiable, but we need to base ourselves in future on best available science and not on political decisions. If we don't do this, then science breaks down, and so does our ability to face triple planetary crisis. Our country, robust in its defense of effective multilateralism, We need to make sure we don't lose this in rhetoric, but to ensure we have just financing and true transitions for developing countries and a strengthened UNEP. We have tasks remain us in reaffirming trust in our work and reiterate today that we need to work towards an environment which is safe and secure for future generations.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. Thank you very much, President. We would like to begin by congratulating the Executive Director of UNEP and the Presidency of UNEA-7, the co-facilitators and Secretariat, for their work and for the efforts conducted. We thank the Republic of Kenya and its people for their warm hospitality and congratulate them. We would also like to particularly recognize the Global Youth Assembly and their contributions in order to find sustainable solutions for a resilient planet. We reiterate Uruguay's commitment to negotiation processes and for the development of participatory policies which include the youth civil society, and other relevant stakeholders. We welcome the adopted resolutions and decisions and the ministerial declaration, in particular resolution on chemicals and waste, which we were co-sponsor of. We thank all member states for the initiative and for the arduous work of delegations who worked in a constructive spirit and with a great amount of flexibility to achieve consensus. Nevertheless, We regret not having been able to achieve consensus on resolutions on strengthening international response to tackle environmental crimes and the active protection of ecosystems of the deep seas. We urge you all to continue working in order to tackle environmental crimes which affect not just the environment but also human health and the enjoyment of human rights. Human rights defenders as well, SDGs with severe impacts on communities. We also believe in thematic intersection with illegal trade, organized crime, with corruption and other crimes which affect as a whole international security. In addition, we reaffirm Uruguay's interest in moving forwards in our knowledge on ecosystems of the deep seas. Research and scientific analysis of gaps and continuing to improve cooperation within UN institutions and MEAs is essential. We support the initiatives set out by Vanuatu to move forward in this work through the development of a global independent synthesis of information available and scientific gaps. We also lament the lack of consensus on sargassum. This is a crisis which negatively affects a number of countries in our region and other regions. We find ourselves with a statement made by Switzerland on behalf of a number of countries and highlight the importance of inclusive and independent science. The development of scientific evaluations with a gender and geographic balance is essential. Science is essential in order to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. In this regard, we welcome the establishment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Chemicals, Waste, and Pollution in, uh, Uruwai last June. We think it's essential to continue this work in February 2026 We also thank the Quadripartite Alliance for the work conducted and hope for the future establishment of an independent panel on evidence for action against antimicrobial action. We also welcome the fact that UNEP has provided services to the Secretariat given their longstanding experience in these roles with IPCC, IPBES, and others. Agreements for this will be essential for work in the future. President, we believe that we are very far from the ambitious vision which we had set out and the outcomes which we had hoped for, in particular with regards to international commitments on SDGs and the 2030 Agenda, on promotion of human rights, on gender equality, and the recognition of environmental crises and their negative impacts on vulnerable people. This is a concerning step backwards. It's our responsibility as members of the United States to move forward in order to effectively address environmental challenges internationally, complying with our obligations and continuing to make progress in international environmental law. We would like to in particular congratulate Jamaica for their election as president of UNEA-8 and all members of the bureau who were elected. Finally, we express our firm commitments to achieving the prompt adoption of the treaty put an end to plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, next year. This includes legally binding means throughout the entire life cycle of plastics promoting sustainable consumption and production and a just transition. We need to continue taking into account in an urgent manner this crisis for present and future generations. Thank you very much.

Please respect the time limit. We're getting late and delegations have already started to to leave the room. So we don't want to make our statements to an empty room. So I kindly ask you to speak as briefly as possible. States have made their general statements. This is the final meeting of this session, so please respect the time limit so that we can't be delayed. Please take your seats. The plenary is not closed yet and there are some delegations requesting for floors. So please keep quiet and take your seats. Shukran jazeelan. Al-kelm al-ahn li. Thank you very much. I now give the floor to Brazil.

Thank you, Mr. President. I'll be very brief. I have the honor to take the floor on behalf of the BRICS. At the outset, we wish to congratulate you, Mr. President, for a very successful UNEA 7, and also congratulate Jamaica for its election as UNEA 8 President. Congratulations as well to Kenya for Jamhuri Day. As we conclude our deliberations here at UNEA 7, the BRICS BRICS countries take this opportunity to reaffirm our steadfast commitment to scale up urgent action to address the challenges posed by climate change, biodiversity loss, desertification, land degradation, drought, sand and dust storms, pollution, among others. The BRICS countries reaffirmed the importance of strengthening UNEP under the oversight of its governing bodies, UNEA and the CPR. As the only UN headquarters located in the Global South, elevating Nairobi's international role constitutes a necessary step in our efforts to make multilateralism more inclusive, representative, and responsive. We regard this as a long-term objective to be pursued through building bridges and reaching consensual outcomes. With 11 resolutions and 3 decisions adopted by consensus through a transparent and consultative process, we have laid yet another brick in the solution foundation built by those who came before us and upon which future generations will continue to build. The challenge now lies in the implementation of these resolutions. In this regard, the BRICS countries underscore the continued centrality of the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. We urge developed countries, in line with their obligations under the MEAs, to ensure the provision of adequate, effective, predictable, timely, and accessible financial resources to developing countries, as well as increased contributions to the environmental fund, thereby enabling UNEP to fulfill its core mandate. We also recall the importance of supporting and accelerating the development of transfer of technology and capacity building to developing countries as critical enablers of climate action. Finally, our group also takes this opportunity to recall that all measures taken to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, including unilateral ones, must be designed, adopted, and implemented in conformity with the principles and provisions of relevant multilateral environmental and trade-related agreements and must not constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or a disguised restriction on international trade. Mr. President, BRICS countries reiterate our firm belief that multilateralism remains the most effective and legitimate pathway for advancing sustainable solution to global challenges, ensuring resilient planet for present and future generations. Thank you.

Al-kalima al-3an. Thank you. I now give the floor to the representative of the European Union. You have the floor.

Thank you very much. It is my privilege to speak on behalf of the European Union and its 27 Member States. First of all, allow me to express our sincere appreciation for the Omani Presidency and the UNEA Bureau, the CPR, its Chair and Bureau, as well as the Executive Director and her team for their hard work and dedication to making this UNEA a success. A warm thanks also to the UN Office of Nairobi Nairobi and Kenya for hosting the Assembly and these important negotiations. Your tireless efforts and your team is helping the meeting run smoothly. Especially to our Kenyan friends, we want to wish you a very happy Jamhuri Day. Now, the EU, we came to UNEA 7 with high hopes for the environment and multilateralism. We came to find common solutions to shared environmental crisis and we have achieved good results in some areas, less in others. We were able to find common ground on a ministerial declaration which shows the global political commitment to protecting the environment. We emphasized the importance of the G7 in providing a robust a robust scientific basis for decision-making and highlighting the importance of science. We landed a medium-term strategy which will provide clear direction for UNEP's work in the years to come. And we also adopted important resolutions such as on chemicals and waste, on AI, on minerals and metals, and on children and youth. These are achievements we should recognize and celebrate. Unfortunately, we did not agree on resolutions for some topics such as crimes affecting the environment and protection of deep sea ecosystems. But we believe strongly that UNEA's role as the global parliament for the environment— these topics are not lost, however. They require more more discussions and more global collaboration. We meet at a time defined by crisis that threatened our environment and our planet, whether we say so explicitly in the Assembly's resolutions or not. And 10 years ago today, we adopted the Paris Agreement, a landmark agreement to take collective action to respond to the climate emergency. Urgency with clear science-based objectives. We have made progress, but much remains to be done to reach the limit global warming of 1.5 degrees. The global environmental crisis and climate— and climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution is clearly and clearly backed by science, science that is not for us to not to negotiate but to rely on. And our responsibility as governments, as global community, is to act with unity, urgency, and determination, ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come. In doing so, we must also listen—listen to the voices of major groups and stakeholders. They are often the first and most affected, yet their perspectives are too often missing from our decisions. Their knowledge and their experiences must guide us more strongly. So finally, we confirm our commitment to supporting the work of UNEP, safeguarding its mandate, and to follow up on the commitment we have made at this and past UNEAs, especially on the work towards a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. The EU came to UNEA to reaffirm our beliefs in multilateral environmental governance, and that is exactly what happened here. UNEA 7 has proven its integral value, providing policy guidance and defining the future directions of UNEP to tackle the pressing environmental crisis we face today. Thank you.

Thank you.

I now give the floor to Iran.

Mr. President, Madam Executive Director, distinguished delegates. First of all, we align ourselves with the statement by distinguished delegate of Brazil Brazil on behalf of BRICS. As the 7th session of the United Nations Environmental Assembly draws to close, the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran extends its sincere gratitude and appreciation. We pay a special tribute to the President of the UNIA-7, His Excellency Dr. Bin Ali Al-Amri, Chairman of Environment Authority of Sultanate of Oman. Your leadership, dedication, and tireless efforts have been instrumental in navigating complex negotiations and securing valuable progress, including the adoption of ministerial declaration. We acknowledge the constructive spirit and hard work of a hard work of all the member states who engage in robust yet collaborative dialogue. Our success in adopting important resolutions through consensus demonstrates the unwavering commitment of the global community to multilateralism and shared responsibility for our planet's future. We also express our deepest thanks to Madame Executive Director, Ms. Inger Andersen, and the Secretariat of UNEP for their exemplary support, technical expertise, and guidance through this Assembly. The resolutions adopted today touching upon issues and challenges in from sustainable development and environmental aspects. Uh, this is a testament to Assembly's vital role as the world's highest environmental decision-making body. Finally, we recognize the enduring relevance of the Nairobi spirit. This spirit of multilateralism, solidarity, and shared responsibility in the global environmental capital must continue to inspire us. It is the commitment to working together, respecting national priorities, and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities that will ultimately secure a sustainable and resilient future to all. The Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms its commitment to these outcomes and looks forward to working collaboratively in coming intersessional period and up to the next UNIA. I thank you.

I now give the floor to Switzerland.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We would like first to thank all who have contributed to the success of LabConf UNEA. This means in particular you, Mr. Chair, your team, all officials, all delegates, UNEP-ED, and the entire UNEP team. Mr. Chair, our delegation remains committed to advancing the results achieved and supporting their implementation. As a concrete step, Switzerland has launched a Science Policy Day to highlight the interface between science and decision-making. We look forward to this event organized by the Geneva Environment Network on December 17th. We invite all member states and stakeholders to participate, participate on-site or online. Moreover, Switzerland is honored to welcome the first plenary session of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution in February 2026 in Geneva. This new panel is a landmark achievement. It will deliver independent, science-based assessments to help governments to set priorities, anticipate emerging challenges, and respond effectively. However, establishing the panel is only the first step. We now need to prove that the model works, which requires strong cooperation and enabling environment. For this reason, Switzerland is offering Geneva as host for the panel secretariat. Being at the center of the Global Chemicals and Waste Cluster alongside the Basel, Rotterdam, Stockholm, and Minn-Waata Conventions, the Global Framework on Chemicals, UNEP, WHO, and others would help to avoid duplication and ensure an efficient use of resources. Let me conclude by congratulating Mr. Matthew Zamuda on his election as President of UNEA-ITE. We look forward to working with him and the Bureau to ensure success for UNITE. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. I now give the floor to Tajikistan.

Thank you very much, Mr. President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates. It is a great honor for our delegation to address this distinguished assembly. For one week, we have gathered under the unique Nairobi spirit, united in our resolve to find ambitious and actionable solutions for our planet. Our discussions have reaffirmed the critical importance of placing environmental sustainability at the forefront of the global agenda. Tajikistan remains committed in its active engagement on the international stage, particularly on the issues of climate resilience and sustainable development. For our country, environmental protection is not merely a policy choice but an existential necessity. With 93% of our territory comprised of mountains, we are among the world's most vulnerable and most committed nations to preserving this fragile ecosystem. Ecosystems. We are proud to have catalyzed global momentum on defining issue of our time. At the initiative of Tajikistan, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers Preservation, a landmark resolution co-sponsored by more than 150 countries. In this spirit, we sincerely welcome the adoption at this assembly landmark UN Framework Resolution on the Preservation of Glaciers and the Broader Cryosphere, in particular in mountain regions. As the proponent of this resolution, we deeply appreciate the support, constructive cooperation, and spirit, flexibility demonstrated by all member states during the negotiations over the past two weeks. This outcome is a powerful testament to the effective multilateralism. As we depart from Nairobi, let us carry forward our shared responsibility to preserve our planet and secure a sustainable and resilient future for all. Let us conclude by expressing our deepest gratitude to UNEP Secretariat and personally you, Mr. President, for your able leadership and the successful organization of this UNEA-7. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to the government and the people of Kenya for their warm for your hospitality. Thank you very much. Shukran jazila.

Thank you very much for all your statements, distinguished representatives of states. I now call the Executive Director, Ms. Inger Andersen, to address the Assembly with her closing remarks.

As the room is thinning out, I'm going to try to be fast. However, this has been two intense weeks, the first week of the OECPR and then this UNEA, and it deserves recognition. First, if I may, to our President Abdullah bin Ali Al-Amri, who has led us so ably during this week. From me to you, President, my deep, personal, heartfelt thanks, and from me to your team, my deep thanks indeed. You have brought a stellar team, and we are in your debt, sir. I would like also to express my congratulations to President-elect, Minister Matthew Samuda, Minister of Water, Environment, and Climate of Jamaica. I give you my word, my brilliant colleagues will do all, as they have done this time round, to support you in your duties. Excellencies, colleagues, and friends, you came to Nairobi to the 7th session of UNEA to deliver sustainable solutions for a resilient planet. You came to show the determination and the solidarity the world needs to tackle the environmental challenges that are threatening to undermine our economies and our societies. You have succeeded. The beacon of environmental multilateralism that rises above the fog of geopolitical complexity and differences today shines a little brighter. My deep thanks to the President, to the Bureau, to the Committee of the Permanent Representative, to our Chair Sultan Al-Belhadjieff, to the Committee of the Whole and the brilliant Chair from St. Kitts and Nevis, Minister, to everyone across UNEP and UNON, including our translators up there and everyone else and of course to you delegations, be you member states, be you major groups, to have come and worked so hard. Special thanks to our gracious host, the nation of Kenya, on this, their independence day, their Jamboree Day, we are working and you have been our closest partner for 50 years. I also very much would like to say that, yes, there were areas of divergence at the start of this assembly, but as I always say, this is normal in multilateralism. This is what we do. This is how we work, and it would have been— what might have been exceptional in other walks of of life is the commitment that you have shown staying till 12 midnight and beyond every night to get the job done and to get over those disagreements, to find pathways to dialogue, to find compromises. UNEA is special, and the Nairobi spirit is alive and kicking. Your work has resulted in 11 resolutions and 3 decisions resolutions on all the issues that you heard the President read out. So I will not repeat, but they are major and they are pathbreakers amongst them that will set a new pathway for critical environmental stewardship. We also have a ministerial declaration in which member states commit to some bold actions that drive sustainable solutions, that commit to implementing the obligations under the multilateral agreements. And commit to advancing equitable and inclusive participation in all efforts. And crucially, and here I thank you, you have approved UNEP's medium-term strategy for the next 4 years, and with this approval, you have endorsed UNEP as your leading global environmental authority that brings together climate action, nature action, biodiversity action, land action, desertification, chemicals, pollution and waste, always at the request of member states, and bring many global and regional agreements and support them as best we can at the national level, support them by science, support them by environmental law when requested. That's the only way we can know how to do this, and you've highlighted UNEP's commitment and impact by approving the MTS. But beyond these outcomes, the wider UNEA-7 ecosystem— has bolstered that whole-of-society approach. I pay tribute to the MEAs, and I see some still present here, for their leadership, for being present, to the presidents of MEAs for their engagement, to the Major Groups and Stakeholder Forum, to the Indigenous People Forum, to the Youth Forum, to the Cities and Regions Summit, the Young and Innovative Climate Leaders and Ecosystem Restoration flagships that were recognized, and of course to our environmental champions. Everyone here were there fully engaged. Excellencies, you, the member states, have also handed to UNEP a number of mandates, new mandates, may I say, on top of the existing mandates, and you are doing this amidst restructuring of our organization and the wider UN through the UNAIDS initiative, an initiative that we embrace and welcome. We therefore need your contribution and your strong commitment to the fund that you have established and to the indicative scale of contribution that you have agreed, aiming at $200 million for the next program of work, with $100 million every year. This fund is the backbone of our work, leveraging, supporting the capacity and leveraging the supporting of $3.3 billion to support the programs in the countries. I also want to give a call out for a strong 9th replenishment of the Global Environment Facility, a key UNEP partner and a partner to many of the countries here. So looking ahead then, I want to recognize that there are many COPs in the year to come and that you have a busy agenda, as do we. Obviously, we will be meeting in COP 31 in Türkiye with Australia. We will be seeing the BBNJ early next year in New York in the PrepCom. We will have the CBD COP 17 in Armenia. We will have UNCCD COP 17 in Mongolia. We will also have the Chemicals and Waste Science Policy Meeting early next year in February. And we will have the first International Conference on the Global Framework on Chemicals in Geneva, as is the scientific policy panel— science policy panel also in Geneva. And we have the 38th meeting of the parties to the Montreal Protocol taking place in Kigali, Rwanda, marking 10 years since that crucial Kigali Amendment. So all of these things are critical, and I hope that the Montreal Protocol can continue to serve as an inspiration to member states as they decide how to move forward, because their member These days you have delivered one of the biggest environmental successes of environmental multilateralism. You will now return to a world outside the negotiations hall, a world in which, let's not forget amidst our celebration, people are dying, homes and livelihoods are being destroyed, economies are being damaged, and inequity is growing. Because action on environmental challenges has not been fast enough. Yes, you have brightened the beacon and lit the better path forward, but we must now together hurry down this path to make good on our collective promise to deliver real solutions for a truly resilient planet and people. So once more, I thank you for coming. I thank you for your resolve and your commitment. I thank you for your diplomacy and your tireless energy. I thank you for being willing to compromise and to uphold the Nairobi spirit. And I wish you all a safe journey home. Thank you.

For these important closing remarks. And will you allow me now to invite His Excellency Dr. Abdullah bin Ali Al-Amri, the President of UNICEF, to deliver his closing remarks?

I will go there with a big proud of all of you. I will go there with the spirit of Nairobi, and I will go there with a very beautiful and green hope. Can I ask you to put the headsets because I will deliver it in Arabic language. The translators, please be ready. Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

In the name of Allah, most merciful, most compassionate. May thanks and gratitude be to God And peace be upon the Prophet Muhammad and his companions. Excellencies, delegates, ladies and gentlemen, may the peace and the blessings of Allah be upon you all. It is indeed a great honor to stand before you today as we conclude the work of the 7th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly. I am filled with pride and gratitude for what we have achieved collectively through our sincere effort and hard work that spanned long days and hours, during which we embodied the spirit of responsibility in its highest sense. Throughout these days, each of you has borne the burden of dialogue and negotiation with dedication and responsibility. You have been exemplary in terms of your commitment and hard work. Thus, we should be able to say today Proudly and in confidence, we have succeeded. Initially, I would like to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to the delegations of the member states for your active presence. Your substantive contributions, and the spirit of consensus that did not fail us in the most difficult times. I would also like to thank the Executive Bureau and the Committee of Representatives for exerting sustained effort to overcome obstacles and maintain the integrity of the negotiating process. I'd like also to thank Miss Inger Andersen and the UNEP team who worked around the clock and worked day and night with all professionalism and sincerity. I'd like to especially thank the Secretariat team and the West Asia Office who worked with us from the outset as a team and spared no effort to make this success possible. Allow me to invite all the excellencies, the vice chairman, members of the executive bureau for the— in the 7th Union, also the Committee of Permanent Representatives and its Excellency the Chairman. Ladies and gentlemen, members of the committee of the hall and the facilitators, Her Excellency the Executive Director and the INEP team. Also Excellency the Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman in Nairobi, and my wonderful team from the Environment Authority of the Sultanate of Oman and its embassy in Nairobi to stand up for a round of applause and expression of gratitude and appreciation. Kindly stand up. We've applauded you as an expression of our deep gratitude for the sincere efforts and the hard work during this session. I tell you all thank you from the bottom of my heart. I'm proud of you, and I'm proud of all the sincere efforts you've exerted that made anything possible and that made whatever is possible a reality which we live at the moment. Excellencies, When this Assembly was inaugurated, I called upon you and myself to turn our resolve into results. Today, I can confidently say that we have not only made promises but translated them into resolutions and a common vision that will take us forward. This week witnessed a true exercise of the finest forms of multilateral action. The debate was not just an exchange of views, but a deep commitment to the search of commonalities and a sincere concern to protect our common good for the planet. We listened to one another, we discussed respectfully, fruitfully, and we rose together above our disagreements. We worked with what united us, not with what divided us. Today we adopted a strong, ambitious ministerial declaration on promoting sustainable solutions for a resilient— a strong, resilient planet, along with a set of significant resolutions that indeed represent a key pillar to address multiple environmental crises, including climate change, loss of biodiversity, land degradation, pollution, and waste, as well as others. The outcomes of this session indeed confirm the strong relationship between resilience and equity, the strong— the strengthening of cooperation and joint action through multilateral environmental conventions, as well as renewing confidence in the ability of UNEP to implement its commitments in accordance with its strategy and program of work. Ladies and gentlemen, I spoke in the outset about Oman's Vision 2040, a vision that elevates both man and nature. Throughout this week, I believe that— the belief that this woman— this vision is not unique to a country or a region, but a global aspiration shared by all. You have demonstrated that resilience is not a technical choice, but a political and a moral decision that countries take when They support science, equity, and shared responsibility. From Muscat to Nairobi to the world all, the Omani presidency has embodied a firm conviction that sustainability is a bridge between wisdom and heritage on the one hand, and innovation and the future on the other. What has been achieved here proves that this bridge is indeed capable of carrying the world's ambitions towards a better future. Colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, the conclusion of this session doesn't mean the end of our mission. The measure of our success will not be limited to what we've adopted on paper, no matter how important and strategic, but by what we will see on the ground in terms of cleaner air, cleaner water, restored ecosystems, sustainable ecosystems, green job opportunities, and more resilient societies capable of facing the challenges of the future. In this context, I am pleased to welcome His Excellency Matthew Samuda, Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change of Jamaica, as the incoming President of the Eighth Session of the Assembly. Honourable Minister, we assure you that you, the Vice Presidents, as well as the team members, that your leadership will continue to strengthen global environmental governance expand cooperation and solidarity, as well as partnerships, in a way that befits a time when the environment has become an issue of common destiny. Friends and colleagues, as we leave beautiful and green Nairobi, let us carry with us a firm certainty that what we've agreed on here is not just empty promises but living commitments that will make difference in people's lives and the future of our one planet. On behalf of the Omani presidency, I'd like to thank you all very much for your trust, for your generous work, You've done in a spirit of responsibility, cooperation, and humanity. Protecting the planet is not the task of one generation, but a legacy that we'd like to pass on to future generations. In my name and the name of the team, I hope that we have succeeded in keeping the integrity and in fact living up to our promises. And I ask Allah to inspire us with wisdom and strength to move forward towards a more peaceful world capable of addressing the challenges ahead. Thank you heartily, and peace be upon you all. Wahuna!

We now have reached the last leg of our joyful, important and successful journey, as testified by everybody. I now declare closed the 7th session of the UN Environment Assembly. The meeting is adjourned.