UNEA-2 Passes Most Significant Resolution on Conflict and the Environment since 1992

May 28, 2016 | Doug Weir
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After five months of negotiations, a resolution from Ukraine on the protection of the environment in areas affected by armed conflict has been approved by consensus at the second meeting of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-2) in Nairobi. The resolution, which was co-sponsored by Jordan, the DRC, Iraq, South Sudan, Norway and Lebanon, is the most significant UN resolution of its kind since 1992. As the text was submitted to the plenary for final approval, Canada, and the EU and its Member States unexpectedly joined Ukraine as co-sponsors.

Back in 1992, concern over the environmental damage wrought by the 1991 Gulf War had fuelled international concern over the environmental legacy of conflict in a way not seen since the Vietnam War. This new resolution reflects not only a deeper understanding of the environmental implications of armed conflict throughout the conflict cycle but also growing international interest in finally tackling the weak state of legal protection for the environment and the inadequate systems of environmental response and recovery.