5th Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific

Continuing its strong engagement in global environmental governance, Lead for Earth participated in the fifth Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific (5th AP Forum), held from 3rd to 6th October 2023 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. This important event, jointly organized by Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Environment and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), offered avenues for both in-person and online engagement. The forum was a critical platform for dialogue among governments, intergovernmental bodies, and diverse stakeholders. It aimed to address and prioritize environmental challenges specific to the Asia Pacific region, contributing significantly to the discussions of the upcoming sixth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-6). During the forum, Lead for Earth played a key role in providing an Asia Pacific perspective on various environmental issues.

Our focus was on evaluating the implementation of UNEA resolutions within the region. Additionally, we examined progress within regional platforms and networks where UNEP acts as the secretariat, such as the Asia Pacific Clean Air Partnership, Asia Pacific Adaptation Network, Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia, and the Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on Environment and Health. Moreover, the forum enabled us to delve into regional priorities and newly emerging environmental issues. We actively engaged in discussions to identify challenges and opportunities that would strengthen the regional environmental agenda. This included contributing to the environmental dimension of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and reinforcing regional commitments to various multilateral environmental agreements. Our contributions and insights were instrumental in developing the draft documents for UNEA-6, including ministerial declarations and resolution drafts, further emphasizing our commitment to achieving the environmental objectives of the 2030 SDGs.