NAIROBI — The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is gearing up to host the sixth United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) from 26 February to 1 March at its headquarters in Nairobi. This year’s assembly arrives at a pivotal moment, as the world faces an unparalleled environmental crisis affecting every region globally.

According to Kenya News Agency, Under Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UNEP, the focus of UNEA-6 will be on the triple planetary crisis: climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. Andersen, who spoke during a climate and clean air conference, emphasized the assembly’s theme, “Effective, inclusive, and sustainable multilateral actions to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.”

The assembly, which convenes biennially, serves as a vital platform for providing policy guidance, defining responses to emerging environmental challenges, and setting the global environmental agenda. Next week, Nairobi will see the gathering of all 193 UN member states, along with over 5,000 representatives from governments, the scientific community, and the private sector. This collective will constitute the world’s highest-level decision-making body aimed at addressing some of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.

Previous sessions of the assembly have significantly influenced the development of global environmental policies. UNEA-6 is anticipated to continue this legacy by advancing the global fight against the triple planetary crisis. During this year’s sessions, member states and stakeholders are expected to discuss approximately 19 draft resolutions, focusing on the interconnected nature of these crises and the critical role of multilateralism in combating them.