UNEA Monitor Issue 5

Major Groups Opening Statement at UNEP@50. Djatougbe AZIAKA , delivering the opening statement at UNEP@50 2022 marks a historic milestone of fifty years since the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in, which was widely seen as the first international meeting on the environment. This kick started the formation of environmental ministries and agencies around the world, hosting new global agreements to collectively protect the environment. Eventually, it led to the formation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Since then, UNEP has coordinated global efforts to confront the planet’s biggest environmental challenges, including initiatives to repair the ozone layer, phase out leaded fuel, stop some endangered species from going extinct and more. UNEP’s global power and rigorous scientific research has served as a platform for countries to engage and advance the global environmental agenda.