4 June 2018: UN General Assembly (UNGA) President Miroslav Lajcak has appointed the permanent representatives of Portugal and Lebanon to lead consultations on a global pact for the environment. The process to create the pact was initiated by France, and aims to address the challenges posed by environmental degradation in the context of sustainable development.

A high-level conference on a global pact for the environment took place on the sidelines of the UNGA’s general debate in September 2017. On 10 May 2018, the Assembly adopted a resolution deciding to establish an ad-hoc open-ended group for the Global Pact on the Environment, which will consider options to address potential gaps in international environmental law and environmental related instruments (A/72/L.51).

By the text, the UNGA requests the Secretary-General to submit a report during its 73rd session, which identifies and assesses possible gaps in international environmental law and environment-related instruments. The ad-hoc open-ended group is to hold its working sessions after the Secretary-General’s report is published. Its cost will be met by voluntary contributions.

Francisco António Duarte Lopes, Permanent Representative of Portugal, and Amal Mudallali, Permanent Representative of Lebanon, will serve as co-chairs of the ad-hoc open-ended group. [UNGA President’s Letter] [SDG Knowledge Hub story on adoption of resolution]