On 10 May 2018, the UN General Assembly adopted, resolution 72/277 entitled “Towards a Global Pact for the Environment”. According to the resolution’s text, the Assembly decided to establish an ad hoc open‑ended working group to consider a technical and evidence-based report that identifies and assesses possible gaps in international environmental law and environment-related instruments with a view to strengthening their implementation.
On 30 August 2019, the General Assembly adopted resolution 73/333, entitled "Follow-up to the report of the ad hoc open-ended working group established pursuant to General Assembly resolution 72/277." The Assembly welcomed the work of the ad hoc open-ended working group as well as its report, and endorsed all its recommendations, as set out in the annex to resolution 73/333.
Following informal consultations with regional and political groups, Members of the Bureaux of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) and of the Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR) to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) jointly agreed on a way forward (roadmap) regarding the follow-up on UN General Assembly resolution 73/333, in particular paragraph (b) in the section entitled “Further Work” of the annex to resolution 73/333, which provides as follows:
“Forward these recommendations to the United Nations Environment Assembly for its consideration, and to prepare, at its fifth session, in February 2021, a political declaration for a United Nations high-level meeting, subject to voluntary funding, in the context of the commemoration of the creation of the United Nations Environment Programme by the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm from 5 to 16 June 1972, with a view to strengthening the implementation of international environmental law and international environmental governance, in line with paragraph 88 of the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, entitled ´The future we want”
The first informal substantive consultation meeting under the auspices of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to UNEP for the United Nations General Assembly resolution 73/333, entitled “Follow-up to the report of the ad hoc open-ended working group established pursuant to General Assembly resolution 72/277” will be held virtually from 21 to 23 July 2020.
The meeting is open to the participation of Member States and Members of Specialized Agencies. The meeting is also open to the participation of representatives of Specialized Agencies, United Nations bodies and other intergovernmental organizations and regional economic integration organizations. In accordance with Rule 70 of the Rules of Procedure of the United Nations Environment Assembly the meeting is also open to representatives from non-governmental organizations accredited to the United Nations Environment Programme.
