Read the Resolution

Animal Welfare – Environment – Sustainable Development Nexus 

The United Nations Environment Assembly,

Recalling UN General Assembly Resolution 70/1, “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, in which the international community envisaged a world in which humanity lives in harmony with nature and in which wildlife and other living species are protected,

Recognising, in this regard, the report of the UN Secretary-General on Harmony with Nature (A/75/266), and that the Environment and Sustainable Development are at the core of UNEP’s mandate,

Recalling the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development “the Future We Want” in particular paragraph 88 (d) calling for UNEP to “Promote a strong science-policy interface, building on existing international instruments, assessments, panels and information networks as one of the processes aimed at bringing together information and assessment to support informed decision-making”,

Keeping in mind that there is a nexus between animals and the environment whereby animals are an essential part of our ecosystems and that ecosystems are balanced by nature if allowed to self-regulate, and that detrimental impacts on animals or their habitats can harm nature and our natural environment in various ways, 

Aware that the unsustainable use of domestic and wild animals is a key driver of the triple environmental crises of biodiversity loss, climate change and pollution, as well as the emergence of pandemics

Noting that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus the inextricable link between animal welfare, environment, and sustainable development and highlighted the need for inter-agency cooperation to safeguard human welfare,

Bearing in mind that animal welfare, sustainable development and the environment are connected to human wellbeing and acknowledging that there is a strong body of science supporting animal sentience, and this is already recognized in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the African Union Animal Welfare Strategy for Africa, and aware, in this regard, of the ongoing effort by Member States to seek the adoption of a Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare,

1. Requests the Executive Director to prepare a report on the nexus between animal welfare, the environment, and sustainable development by:

a. analysing the nexus between animal welfare, the environment, and sustainable development,

b. implementing the findings and recommendations of the report that are relevant to UNEP’s mandate,

c. identifying key partners and stakeholders with the view to implementing the outcomes of the report, and

d. developing an awareness strategy on the nexus between animal welfare, the environment, and sustainable development for the benefit of Member States,

2. Calls on Member States to protect animals, protecting their habitats and meeting their animal welfare requirements, in the context of halting biodiversity loss, restoring ecosystems, mitigating climate change, preventing pollution, reducing the risk of new emerging infectious zoonotic disease, moving to sustainable and agroecological food systems, and achieving sustainable development,

3. Requests the Executive Director to continuously engage the Committee of Permanent Representatives on a regular basis with the view to consolidating inputs and validating the progress of preparation and outcome of the report,

4. Requests the Executive Director to assure the promotion of animal welfare within the United Nations Environment Programme by fostering collaboration with the Member States, business, and experts, the secretariats of the multilateral environmental agreements, other United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, scientific panels, major groups, and other key stakeholders and partners.

5. Requests the Executive Director to report to the Environment Assembly at its sixth session on the implementation of the present resolution.