Print this page
Thursday, 07 September 2017 00:00

World Animal Net Gains Accreditation at the United Nations Environment Assembly

Written by

World Animal Net (WAN) is pleased to announce that we now have received formal accreditation as a Nongovernmental Organization (NGO) at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). While WAN has held consultative statues with the United Nations Economic and Social Council since 2001, this new accreditation unlocks opportunities for advocacy for animals within another body of the United Nations (UN).

cow grazing riverUNEP is the global authority responsible for setting the environmental agenda, promoting implementation of environmental considerations within sustainable development and the UN system, and serves as an advocate for the global environment. As an accredited NGO, WAN is now collaborating with other NGOs through the UNEP Major Groups and Stakeholders system in order to influence outcomes of the 2018 UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) which takes place under UNEP.

UNEA is a biennial event which provides the platform for environmental decision-making on a global scale. UNEA will take place in Nairobi, Kenya from 4-6 December, and is bookended by several other key events, including the Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum which facilitates participation by Major Groups and Stakeholders (like WAN) in the UNEA process. The outcomes of UNEA will feed into the 2018 High Level Political Forum, which is the annual forum on sustainable development that WAN attended and advocated at this past July.

Additionally, this year’s UNEA is focused on pollution, a key issue for animal advocates concerned with the increasing prevalence of intensive animal agriculture, which contributes significantly to air, soil and water pollution, in addition to being a leading emitter of greenhouse gases and contributor to climate change. The outcomes of UNEA will include a political declaration on pollution which will be linked to the Sustainable Development Goals; resolutions and decisions adopted by Member States addressing pollution; voluntary commitments by governments, the private sector and civil society; and a public awareness campaign aimed to encourage individual action to decrease pollution.

WAN is already working hard to ensure that the waste and pollution produced by the livestock sector is not ignored in the preparatory documents being produced ahead of UNEA, and we are looking forward to attending and influencing UNEA this coming December.

For more information on the process at UNEA and to learn how your organization can get involved, follow our blog and subscribe to our newsletter!

Tagged under
Jessica Bridgers

Jessica is the Executive Director at World Animal Net. Having received a B.S. in biology with minors in chemistry and anthropology from the University of New Mexico, she combines a scientific background with a passion for animal protection. She completed her M.S. in Animals and Public Policy from Tufts University and internships with Humane Society International, Animal Protection of New Mexico, and the New England Anti-Vivisection Society before arriving at World Animal Net. In her free time, she volunteers with horse and wildlife rescues. 

 

Latest from Jessica Bridgers

Related items