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Your Excellency Abdullah Bin Ali Al-Amri,
Inger Andersen,
Elizabeth Mrema,
Colleagues,
Delegates,
Germany aligns itself with the statement made by the EU.
Let me highlight three points:
First: The United Nations Environment Assembly is an indispensable global platform for environmental solutions.
Sometimes we struggle agreeing on common proposals. But the situation is urgent, as was highlighted in the recent GEO7 report. Member States have therefore engaged in serious conversations and have agreed on a number of common solutions. Let us bring this famous Nairobi spirit also to the ongoing negotiations on an international plastics agreement.
Second: What we are developing here benefits people and the planet.
Environmental protection is also a question of social justice. We need to make sure everyone is on board.
We have been discussing topics that are immediately relevant to people’s everyday life: Chemicals and waste, deep-sea mining, wildfires, minerals and metals, crimes that affect the environment, youth participation. We also tackled an emergent topic and addressed the environmental aspects of artificial intelligence.
Third: A strong UN Environment Programme is not a luxury but a necessity.
Germany, like the EU, believes that we need a UNEP able to deliver on the Medium-Term Strategy. With the ongoing UN reform for more efficiency we need to reinforce and not weaken environmental protection.
I would like to thank you, Inger, for your hard work on this!
Germany remains a reliable and committed partner for UNEP.
Especially in this moment, it is important to step up our support for UNEP.
We therefore decided to provide for 2025 additional funding of one and a half (1,5) million US dollars to the Environment Fund.
Today marks the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement. This remains the compass for our action in environment protection and climate action.
I trust the Presidency’s Leadership to close this UNEA with a joint Ministerial Declaration that we can all adhere to!
Now is the time for us to set course for the future: environmentally, economically and socially. Germany is and will remain a reliable partner in this work.
Thank you.