The United Nations Environment Assembly,
Reaffirming the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and all its relevant principles and General Assembly resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015, entitled “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”,
Recalling its resolutions 2/15 of 27 May 2016 and 3/1 of 6 December 2017,
Aware that armed conflicts can impede the delivery of essential services and undermine effective environmental management, and that environmental degradation in situations of armed conflict and post-conflict can have an impact on human health, well-being and livelihoods, with people in all vulnerable situations1 particularly exposed to such effects,
Acknowledging the important role that effective, inclusive and sustainable environmental assistance can play in conflict recovery and sustainable development in areas affected by armed conflict,
Recalling General Assembly resolution 53/242 of 28 July 1999, entitled “Report of the Secretary-General on environment and human settlements”, in which the General Assembly reaffirmed that, in accordance with its mandate, the United Nations Environment Programme should not become involved in conflict identification, prevention or resolution, and taking note of General Assembly resolution 57/337 of 3 July 2003 on prevention of armed conflict, in which the General Assembly recognized the need for mainstreaming and coordinating the prevention of armed conflicts throughout the United Nations system and called on all its relevant organs, organizations and bodies to consider, in accordance with their respective mandates, how they could best include a conflict prevention perspective in their activities, where appropriate,
Noting that the collection and sharing of environmental data are vital for informing environmental assistance and recovery in areas affected by armed conflict and that States affected by armed conflict may require technical assistance in determining the severity of environmental damage,
Mindful that international cooperation can support environmental assistance and recovery in areas affected by armed conflict,
Recalling that the General Assembly, in its resolution 77/104 of 7 December 2022 on protection of the environment in relation to armed conflicts, inter alia, welcomed the conclusion of the work of the International Law Commission on protection of the environment in relation to armed conflicts; took note of the principles on protection of the environment in relation to armed conflicts, the text of which was annexed to that resolution, together with the commentaries thereto; and encouraged their widest possible dissemination,
1. Urges States to adhere to the rules of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations, human rights law and international humanitarian law, as applicable, in relation to the protection of the environment in areas affected by armed conflict;
2. Invites States to take note of the International Law Commission’s principles on protection of the environment in relation to armed conflicts, as applicable;
3. Encourages States to consider how to increase the effectiveness of environmental assistance and recovery in areas affected by armed conflict;
4. Requests the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, subject to the availability of resources, and with the oversight of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to the United Nations Environment Programme, to report to the United Nations Environment Assembly on the provision by the Programme of environmental assistance and recovery in areas affected by armed conflict, and to identify and develop technical guidance, including new and emerging practices, on the collection of data on environmental damage associated with armed conflict;
5. Encourages the Executive Director, subject to the availability of resources, to strengthen United Nations Environment Programme collaboration with other United Nations entities and relevant stakeholders to provide, upon requests by Member States of the United Nations or members of United Nations specialized agencies, environmental assistance and recovery in areas affected by armed conflict;
6. Requests the Executive Director, in consultation with States, to include environmental assistance and recovery in areas affected by armed conflict in the development of the medium-term strategy of the United Nations Environment Programme for the period 2026–2029, which will be considered by the United Nations Environment Assembly at its seventh session;
7. Requests the Executive Director to report to the United Nations Environment Assembly at its seventh session on progress in the implementation of the present resolution.