I was privileged to attend and speak at the recent Focal-Point Meeting for Asia-Pacific region in Bangkok at the UN Building in July. 

Background

Asia Pacific is the largest and fastest growing region in the world.  Implementation of environmental commitments under Multilateral Environmental Agreements and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in this dynamic and diverse region requires good laws and strong institutions. The United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) supports countries in Asia and the Pacific to achieve this goal.  It works with a broad range of partners to support the development or strengthening of environmental laws and their enforcement to achieve countries’ environmental goals in the context of sustainable development, as well as advance environmental justice. The development and implementation of environmental law has been going through material changes in this region and globally, leading to the development of good practices in various countries that can address legal and institutional issues relating to the environment.

The Montevideo Programme for the Development and Periodic Review of Environment Law (Montevideo Programme) refers to a series of ten-year programmes that organize the work of the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) to support the development and review of environmental law. The current and fourth such programme (Montevideo Programme IV) runs from 2010 to 2020.  At its second universal session in 2016 the United Nations Environment Assembly adopted Resolution 2/19 which requests UN Environment, in close collaboration with the national focal points, to prepare an assessment of Montevideo IV and proposals for the work of UN Environment in the area of environmental law for a specific period beginning in 2020, for consideration by the UNEA in 2019.

Purpose of the meeting

The key purpose of the meeting is to provide a forum for Montevideo Focal Points from Asia Pacific to:

(a) share and exchange information on latest developments, trends, and good practices in the development and enforcement of environmental law in their countries, as well as regionally and globally;

(b) contribute to UN Environment’s preparation of the assessment of the Montevideo Programme IV, including through sharing information on the status of implementation of the Montevideo Programme IV in their countries; and

(c) identifying priorities from the region and proposals for the work of UN Environment in environmental law for the coming years, including for the next Montevideo Programme period commencing 2020.  Priorities already identified by focal points and relevant UN Environment Assembly resolutions include: air pollution, public health, and marine litter. These and others will be discussed in the meeting.