27 July 2016: The UN Secretary-General has transmitted a report on the ‘Implementation of UN Environmental Conventions’ (A/71/005 ) to the 71st session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA). The document includes reports submitted to the Secretary-General by the Secretariats of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The report is one of a number of Secretary-General’s reports of the UNGA’s 2nd Committee in preparation for the 71st session of the UNGA, which begins in September 2016.

The UNFCCC report describes the outcomes of the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) and the 11th session of the COP serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 11). It recommends that the UNGA may wish to, among other things: urge Kyoto Protocol Parties to deposit their instruments of acceptance to ensure the rapid entry into force of the Protocol’s Doha Amendment; urge UNFCCC Parties to sign and ratify the Paris Agreement and deposit their instruments of ratification; and invite the UNFCCC Executive Secretary to continue to report to the UNGA on the work of the COP and CMP.

The report submitted by the UNCCD discusses: the outcomes of COP 12; linkages among desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD), and forced migration, instability and conflicts; follow-up to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; collaboration with the Global Environment Facility (GEF); celebration of World Day to Combat Desertification; and partnerships. The report also recommends that the UNGA may wish to: view the SDG target on land degradation neutrality (15.3) as an SDG accelerator, since it plays an important role in achieving many other SDG targets; note the land degradation neutrality project; encourage all countries to set land degradation neutrality targets; and support this by inviting donors, international organizations, financial institutions and the private sector to provide funding.

The CBD report discusses: implementation of the Convention and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and difficulties encountered in the implementation process; preparations for COP 13; and the UN Decade on Biodiversity (2011-2020) and International Day for Biological Diversity. It recommends that the UNGA may wish to, inter alia: ask Parties to increase efforts to implement the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, as well as mainstream and integrate biodiversity in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs; invite Parties and relevant UN departments, specialized agencies, funds, programmes and regional commissions to contribute to achieving the objectives of the UN Decade on Biodiversity (2011-2020); and ask Parties that have not yet done so to ratify or accede to the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and its Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress. [Report of the Secretary-General on the Implementation of UN Environmental Conventions] [Secretary-General’s Reports of the 2nd Committee for the 71st UNGA]