Following the conclusion of the seventh UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) in Nairobi on Friday, December 12, 2025, the United Nations has outlined the next steps, after Member States adopted 11 resolutions, three decisions, and a Ministerial Declaration to promote a more resilient planet.
After the one-week global meeting, hosted at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) headquarters, in Gigiri, Nairobi, the leaders addressed the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, pollution, and waste.
UN officials stressed that the conclusion of UNEA-7 marks the beginning of implementation rather than the end of negotiations.
The resolutions adopted tasked Member States with safeguarding coral reefs, managing chemicals and waste, ensuring responsible minerals use, and advancing sustainable AI.
The members agreed to take action on wildfires, glacier protection, sargassum blooms, antimicrobial resistance and promoting sustainability in sport.
The UNEA-7 Ministerial Declaration commits governments to taking bold action to fulfil their obligations under multilateral environmental agreements.
The declaration also seeks to ensure the equitable and inclusive participation of all in environmental decision-making processes.
The Assembly also approved UNEP’s Medium-Term Strategy (MTS) for the next four years and its associated Programme of Work for the next two years. Funding and delivery
In closing the session, UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen urged Member States to contribute fully to enable UNEP to deliver results and impact.
She warned that environmental action has not been fast or strong enough, citing ongoing loss of life and livelihoods, as well as growing inequality, all of which are linked to environmental degradation.
“We must now, together, hurry down this path to make good on our collective promise to deliver real solutions for a resilient planet and resilient people,” Andersen urged.
Member States elected H.E. Matthew Samuda as President of UNEA-8, tasking him with steering the next Assembly toward inclusive, transparent and action-oriented outcomes.
The Member states set the date for the next UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-8) as December 6-10, 2027, at the UNEP Headquarters in Nairobi.
