Meeting events

The fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-5), is scheduled to take place from 25 November to 1 December 2024 in Busan, Republic of Korea. The session will be preceded by regional consultations.

The Summit is a high-level event, bringing world leaders together to forge a new international consensus on how we deliver a better present and safeguard the future.

This once-in-a-generation opportunity serves as a moment to mend eroded trust and demonstrate that international cooperation can effectively tackle current challenges as well as those that have emerged in recent years or may yet be over the horizon.

We already have the “what” in the form of many existing agreements and commitments, starting with the UN Charter and including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and many others.

The Summit of the Future will look at the “how” – how do we cooperate better to deliver on the above aspiration and goals? How do we better meet the needs of the present while also preparing for the challenges of the future?

The G20 Summit represents the conclusion of the work carried out by the country holding the group’s rotating presidency. It is the moment when heads of state and government approve the agreements negotiated throughout the year and point out ways of dealing with global challenges.

In Brasil, the G20 Leaders’ Summit is scheduled for November 18 and 19, 2024, in Rio de Janeiro, with the presence of the leaders of the 19 member countries, plus the African Union and the European Union.

 The 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit will be held in Kananaskis, Alberta, from June 15 to 17, 2025. From international peace and security to global economic stability and growth, to the digital transition, today’s global challenges and opportunities require us to work together to find shared solutions.

The overall goal of the Regional Forum is to create a platform for national and regional action to enhance and safeguard health and the environment and promote sustainable development. Started with 14 countries in Southeast and East Asia in 2004, the Regional Forum is now open for all ROAP member states. The Ministers of Environment and the Ministers of Health of member countries will meet to provide overall guidance and strategic direction and to enhance coordination and cooperation among countries and partner agencies in addressing identified environment and health priorities.

The fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-4), is scheduled to take place from 23 to 29 April 2024 at the Shaw Center in Ottawa, Canada. The session will be preceded by regional consultations on 21 April 2024. The advance copy of the Revised draft text of the international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (UNEP/PP/INC.4/3), prepared by the INC Secretariat, is now available here. The final document will be made available in all six UN languages on the INC-4 website six weeks before the meeting.

11th meeting of the Committee to facilitate implementation and promote compliance referred to in Article 15, paragraph 2, of the Paris Agreement (PAICC 11)

Article 15
1. A mechanism to facilitate implementation of and promote compliance with the provisions of this Agreement is hereby established.
2. The mechanism referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall consist of a committee that shall be expert-based and facilitative in nature and function in a manner that is transparent, non-adversarial and non-punitive. The committee shall pay particular attention to the respective national capabilities and circumstances of Parties.
3. The committee shall operate under the modalities and procedures adopted by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Agreement at its first session and report annually to the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Agreement.

The COP established the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage associated with Climate Change Impacts (Loss and Damage Mechanism), to address loss and damage associated with impacts of climate change, including extreme events and slow onset events, in developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change at COP19 (November 2013) in Warsaw, Poland.

The implementation of the functions of the Loss and Damage Mechanism will be guided by the Executive Committee under the guidance of the COP.

The Least Developed Countries Expert Group (LEG) was established in 2001, and is currently mandated to provide technical guidance and support to the LDCs on the process to formulate and implement national adaptation plans (NAPs), the preparation and implementation of the national adaptation programmes of action (NAPAs) and the implementation of the LDC work programme.  The LEG is also mandated to provide technical guidance and advice on accessing funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for the process to formulate and implement NAPs, in collaboration with the GCF secretariat.  Furthermore, the LEG is mandated to engage a wide range or organizations in implementing its work programme.

The LEG meets twice a year to develop and review progress on the implementation of its work programme. The LEG implements its work programme through a variety of modalities including technical guidance to the countries, technical guidelines, technical papers, training activities, workshops, expert meetings, NAP Expos, case studies, capturing and sharing of experiences, best practices and lessons learned, NAP Central, monitoring of progress, effectiveness and gaps, collaboration with other bodies, programmes and organizations, and promotion of coherence and synergy.

At this meeting, the LEG will develop the work programme for 2024–2025 and deliberate new mandates arising from COP 28.  The meeting will also include a discussion with the least developed countries (LDCs) on priority needs for support.

The 1st Council meeting of the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) will take place on February 9, 2024. The Global Biodiversity Framework Fund will scale up financing for the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The GBFF aims to help countries achieve the Global Biodiversity Framework goals and targets with a strategic focus on strengthening national-level biodiversity management, planning, policy, governance, and finance approaches. The Fund was ratified by 186 countries and launched at the Seventh GEF Assembly in Vancouver, Canada in August 2023.

The Council, the Global Environment Facility’s main governing body, comprises 32 members appointed by constituencies of GEF member countries (14 from developed countries, 16 from developing countries, and two from economies in transition). Council members rotate at different intervals determined by each constituency. The Council, which meets twice annually, develops, adopts and evaluates the operational policies and programs for GEF-financed activities. It also reviews and approves the work program (projects submitted for approval), making decisions by consensus.