Deputy Minister of Environment and Water Nikolay Sidzhimov participated in the Sixth Session of the UN Environment Assembly, which took place from 26 February to 1 March 2024 at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.

In his national address during the high-level segment, Deputy Minister Sidzhimov emphasized the need to advance the Sustainable Development Goals and take inclusive, effective and sustainable multilateral action to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

"We are convinced that it is imperative to take action that is more sustainable and leads to environmental, social, and economic benefits. Legislation should go hand in hand with changing the business models, societal and individual consumption, and the use of biodiversity," said Deputy Minister Sidzhimov. He highlighted the circular economy and sustainable resource management as part of the main drivers to overcome the planetary crisis.

"We are convinced that we need to focus our efforts on circular approaches leading to multiple benefits for nature, people, and the climate. It is imperative that we focus on actions for an inclusive and equitable transition to sustainable production and consumption," said Deputy Minister Sidzhimov, also focusing on the role of young people in the dialogue and work on environmental issues - an integral part of the transition to the circular economy.

He highlighted the need for a comprehensive approach to address the challenges by continuously engaging national, regional, and local authorities, the private sector, social partners, the academia, and civil society.

On the margins of the event, Deputy Minister Sidzhimov also participated in a high-level dialogue on multilateral environmental agreements on "Strengthening the science-policy interface for effective implementation of environmental commitments", a leadership dialogue on "Show me the money: can global financial systems really tackle climate change, nature loss, and pollution", and the fourth Ministerial Meeting of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution.

It is envisaged that during the Assembly session a Ministerial Declaration will be adopted and decisive actions will be agreed to tackle the triple environmental crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution. The document will be used as UNEP's contribution to the Summit for the Future. Individual resolutions on topical issues on the environmental agenda are also expected to be adopted.

The UN Environment Assembly is the governing body of UNEP and is the world's highest decision-making body in this field. The Assembly's sixth session in Nairobi provides a platform to accelerate the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.