The seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) concluded in Nairobi on 12 December 2025 with a renewed global commitment to multilateral action aimed at building a more resilient planet. Held at the headquarters of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the Assembly brought together governments, civil society, youth leaders, cities, regions and global stakeholders to confront the interconnected environmental challenges facing the world.
More than 6,000 registered participants from 186 countries attended the week-long Assembly, which focused on advancing solutions to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity and nature loss, land degradation, pollution and waste. The session resulted in the adoption of 11 resolutions, three decisions and a Ministerial Declaration, collectively setting the direction for strengthened global environmental governance in the years ahead.
The resolutions adopted at UNEA-7 address a broad range of pressing environmental priorities. Member States advanced measures to safeguard coral reefs; promote the sound management of minerals and metals critical to the energy transition; strengthen chemicals and waste governance; guide the sustainable use of artificial intelligence; and explore innovative approaches to sustainability through sport.
Additional resolutions focused on enhancing international cooperation to combat wildfires, strengthening responses to the environmental dimensions of antimicrobial resistance, protecting glaciers, and addressing the growing challenge of sargassum seaweed blooms. Together, these outcomes underscored the Assembly’s emphasis on practical, science-based solutions and cross-sector collaboration.
Reflecting on the outcomes of the session, H.E. Abdullah bin Ali Al-Amri, President of Oman’s Environment Authority and President of UNEA-7, noted that the agreements reached demonstrate the continued relevance of multilateral cooperation. He emphasized that the real measure of success would be seen not in adopted texts alone, but in tangible improvements on the ground—cleaner air and water, restored ecosystems, green job creation and more resilient societies capable of withstanding future shocks.
A key outcome of UNEA-7 was the Ministerial Declaration, through which governments committed to bold and inclusive actions to drive sustainable solutions. The Declaration reaffirmed the importance of implementing obligations under multilateral environmental agreements and emphasized equitable participation across all regions and stakeholder groups.
The Assembly also approved UNEP’s Medium-Term Strategy for the next four years, alongside its Programme of Work for the subsequent two-year period. These frameworks are intended to guide UNEP’s delivery of results and impact across climate action, nature protection, pollution reduction and environmental governance.
In her closing remarks, UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen called on Member States to ensure full financial contributions to enable UNEP to meet its growing mandate. She cautioned that environmental inaction continues to exact a human and economic toll worldwide, stressing that ambition must now be matched by speed and implementation to deliver real solutions for people and planet.
UNEA-7 also served as a platform for knowledge sharing and inclusive engagement. The Assembly hosted the second Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA) Day, highlighting the critical role of international agreements in addressing global and regional environmental challenges.
The seventh edition of the Global Environment Outlook was launched during the session, marking the most comprehensive global environmental assessment to date. The report found that investments in climate stability, healthy ecosystems and pollution reduction could generate trillions of dollars in additional global GDP, prevent millions of premature deaths, and lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and hunger.
The Assembly was preceded by a Youth Environment Assembly, which brought together more than 1,000 young delegates advocating for meaningful youth participation in global environmental decision-making. A Cities and Regions Summit also took place, highlighting the role of subnational governments in delivering integrated, locally driven environmental solutions.
Civil society engagement was further strengthened through the 21st Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum, where participants exchanged perspectives among themselves and with Member States and UNEP on addressing critical environmental issues.
UNEA-7 also celebrated environmental leadership and advocacy. The 2025 UN Champions of the Earth awards recognized five individuals for exceptional contributions to climate action, while the latest UN World Restoration Flagships were honoured during a Gala of Hope.
UNEP Goodwill Ambassadors joined the Assembly to amplify key messages on environmental solutions. Notably, UNEP’s Patron of the Oceans, endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh, climbed Mount Kenya—home to one of Africa’s last remaining glacier sites, which scientists warn could disappear within five years. Tanzanian hip hop artist and UNEP Advocate for Ecosystem Restoration, Frida Amani, also performed a new song titled Resilience during the High-Level Segment alongside the Kenya Boys Choir.
The Assembly concluded with the election of a new President to preside over UNEA-8: H.E. Matthew Samuda, Jamaica’s Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change. In his acceptance remarks, he emphasized the responsibility of the Assembly to amplify the voices of communities on the frontlines of climate impacts and pledged to promote inclusivity, transparency and practical action.
Member States also agreed that the next UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-8) will take place from 6–10 December 2027 at UNEP Headquarters in Nairobi, setting the stage for continued global collaboration toward a more resilient planet and people.
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