Seychelles advocates for strengthening of alliances at UNEA |02 June 2016

The Minister for Environment, Energy and Climate Change Didier Dogley was in Nairobi last week, where he took part in the second United Nations Environment Assembly High-level Segment meeting. The meeting was held on Thursday and Friday and it was officially opened by the President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta.

At the conference Minister Dogley gave a keynote address as a panellist in the Plenary. The panellists had been asked to provide guidance on how to ensure delivery on the environmental dimension through the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at international, regional and national levels.

In his statement the minister pointed out how sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the Agenda 2030, ambitious aspirations, requires the mobilisation of trillions of US dollars annually at the global level and unless developing countries are provided with the necessary resources, technologies and expertise, it will be very difficult to achieve these goals. 

He recognised the universal nature of the SDGs but cautioned multilateral agencies and intergovernmental organisations providing support to countries to take into consideration the specificities of countries and to apply a targeted approach based on countries’ needs and priorities.  In other words a one-size fit all approach should not be applied because it will not work.

Furthermore, the minister highlighted the need for attention to be given to the engagement and mobilisation of the private sector, civil society and the general population.  This, he argued, is because we all need to impact the environment wherever we may be i.e. at our workplaces, in our homes and in recreational areas. The only way to change the current status quo is by having everyone on board.

Minister Dogley stressed that the world has the necessary institutional framework to succeed but there is a need to strengthen existing partnership and alliances between the SDG processes under ECOSOC (United Nations Economic and Social Council) and the multilateral environment agreements in an effort to reduce duplication, wastage and build synergies.  

The high level political forum, which meets every year at ministerial level and the heads of state meeting under the General Assembly, are excellent venues to provide political guidance to the United Nations.

The UNEA is the highest decision-making body that meets every year at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) headquarters, in Nairobi, Kenya.  The main aim of United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) 2 was for member states, together with major groups and intergovernmental organisations to discuss and agree on a five-year work programme for UNEP.  In total the assembly approved 25 resolutions.

Other members of the Seychelles delegation were Alain Decommarmond, PS for environment; Rebecca Loustau-Lalanne, PS for the Blue economy and Marie-May Jeremie, director of enforcement and standards in the department of environment.