International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environ

  The United Nations attaches great importance to ensuring that action on the environment is part of conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peacebuilding strategies, because there can be no durable peace if the natural resources that sustain livelihoods and ecosystems are destroyed. On 5 November 2001, the UN General Assembly declared 6 November of each year as the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict (A/RES/56/4).  

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Stepping up Preventive Action, From Environmental Challenges to Opportunities for Peace - Security Council Arria-Formula meeting.

Stepping up Preventive Action: From Environmental Challenges to Opportunities for Peace - Security Council Arria-Formula meeting

The United Nations Security Council Arria Formula Meeting will take a closer look at the regional experiences related to the interaction of

The United Nations Security Council Arria Formula Meeting will take a closer look at the regional experiences related to the interaction of environmental degradation and consequences of climate change with economic, social, political and demographic factors.

With increased climate-related security risks in several regions across the globe, marked by loss of livelihoods, food and water insecurity, competition over scarce natural resources, human mobility and political and economic instability, the meeting will offer space to discuss:

Firstly, how can the UN Security Council strengthen its conflict prevention efforts when it comes to tensions over natural resources?

Secondly, how can the UN system equip the UN Security Council with comprehensive risk assessments and early warning on risks related to natural resource-related tensions, environmental degradation and the impacts of climate change?

And finally, how can we integrate natural resource management, environmental protection and climate adaptation into opportunities for peace through inclusive dialogue, trust and mutual understanding at various levels?

Briefers:

Amy Pope, Director-General of International Organization for Migration

Hanna Serwaa Tetteh, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Horn of Africa

Civil Society Representative (TBC)

2023 was a devastating year for both climate and conflict. Conflicts increased by 12 per cent compared to 2022. At the same time, it was the hottest year on record, perilously close to the 1.5°C threshold. Climate disasters and conflicts affect livelihoods, lead to mass displacements both within and across borders, and further deepen pre-existing inequalities and vulnerabilities.

More than 40% of internal armed conflicts over the past 60 years have been linked to natural resources which are essential to achieving sustainable development. However, increasing demand combined with the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, poor resource management, scarcity and unequal access, all intensify the competitive pressures between communities over access, use and control of natural resources. With the current pace of climate change and degradation, tensions over natural resources increasingly trigger, fuel or drive armed conflicts.

The meeting, is organized by Slovenia together with Guyana, Republic of Korea and Sierra Leone. It will be chaired by Ambassador Samuel Žbogar, Representative of Slovenia to the UN Security Council.

Watch the Stepping up Preventive Action: From Environmental Challenges to Opportunities for Peace - Security Council Arria-Formula meeting!

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The Beauty of Interconnected Natural Resource Ecosystems: EGRM-15 lunchtime lectures.

The Beauty of Interconnected Natural Resource Ecosystems: EGRM-15 lunchtime lectures

LUNCHTIME LECTURE AS PART OF THE UNECE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT WEEK 2024, TEMPUS ROOM, PALAIS DES NATIONS, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND.

LUNCHTIME LECTURE AS PART OF THE UNECE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT WEEK 2024, TEMPUS ROOM, PALAIS DES NATIONS, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND.

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Analyzing ecological threats, resilience and Peace. Ecological threat report 2023.

The relationship between peacefulness, food insecurity, water scarcity and population growth is complex. If multiple ecological threats occur simultaneously, they can converge and mutually reinforce, causing a multiplier effect. For example, a country may be exposed to water stress and dedicate resources to addressing this threat. However, the combination of water stress and a rapidly growing population may exacerbate food insecurity, causing other effects, such as higher inflation, unplanned migration or increases in crime. Multiple stressors are also more likely to lead to negative societal outcomes such as political instability, social unrest and violent conflict. In turn, this may cause more damage to physical infrastructure and further deplete already scarce resources, thus creating further food insecurity and water stress. The interplay between ecological threats and socio-economic dynamics may lead a country into a vicious cycle of progressively greater adversity.

Ecological Threats Report 2023. Institute for Economics & Peace

Ecological Threat Report 2023. Institute for Economics and Peace

The relationship between peacefulness, food insecurity, water scarcity and population growth is complex. If multiple ecological threats occu

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Recognize the role of healthy ecosystems and sustainably managed resources in reducing the risk of armed conflict.

On 27 May 2016, the United Nations Environment Assembly adopted resolution UNEP/EA.2/Res.15, which recognized the role of healthy ecosystems and sustainably managed resources in reducing the risk of armed conflict, and reaffirmed its strong commitment to the full implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals listed in General Assembly resolution 70/1, entitled “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”.

The United Nations attaches great importance to ensuring that action on the environment is part of conflict prevention, peacekeeping and pea

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Prevent land and natural resources from contributing to violent conflict.

The challenges associated with preventing, managing and resolving natural resource-induced conflicts may well come to define global peace and security in the 21st century. Global trends such as demographic changes, increasing consumption, environmental degradation and climate change, are placing significant and potentially unsustainable pressures on the availability and usability of natural resources such as land, water and ecosystems.

In response to these challenges and risks, the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN) entered into a partnership in 2008 for building capacities for land, natural resources and conflict prevention. The aim of the partnership was to develop and implement a strategic multi-agency project focused on building the capacity of national stakeholders, the UN system and the EU to prevent land and natural resources from contributing to violent conflict.

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Understand the negative and positive roles that natural resources can play in peace consolidation.

Conflict stems from and is fuelled by a variety of factors. Among these, natural resource related issues figure prominently. Since 1990, at least 17 violent conflicts have involved the exploitation of natural resources. Research further suggests that over the last 60 years at least 40 per cent of all intrastate conflicts have a link to natural resources. These statistics provide a clear basis for United Nations Country Teams (UNCTs) and UN Missions to incorporate principles and practices that promote the equitable, transparent and sustainable management of natural resources into transition planning processes and activities.

This guidance note aims to help UNCTs and UN Missions understand the negative and positive roles that natural resources can play in peace consolidation. It provides practical guidance to assist in thinking through how natural resource management principles and practices can feed into transitional analysis and planning frameworks including: Post Conflict Needs Assessment (PCNA), Integrated Mission Planning Process (IMPP), Peacebuilding Frameworks and Tools, the UN Common Country Analysis (CCA) and the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF). While not relevant in every setting, the guidance offers diagnostic tools to assist those on the ground in deciding where and when such issues need to be addressed, how this can be done, what types of roles the UN can take on, and how the UN can support other actors.

This guidance note draws from and builds upon five guidance notes on natural resources and conflict prevention produced by the EU-UN Partnership on Land and Natural Resource Conflicts: Extractive Industries and Conflict; Renewable Resources and Conflict; Land and Conflict; Capacity Development for Managing Land and Natural Resources; and Conflict Prevention in Resource Rich Economies.

This EU-UN partnership, coordinated by the United Nations Inter-agency Framework for Preventive Action and its partner agencies (UN Environment Programme, UN Development Programme, UN Human Settlements Programme, Peacebuilding Support Office, Department of Political Affairs and Department of Economic and Social Affairs), was established in 2008 to improve national capacities for preventing conflicts over natural resources and land through the development of guidance, knowledge, training products, joint programs and the deployment of experts.

This guidance note was developed by an interagency task team on natural resources in transition settings chaired by UNEP under the umbrella of the Joint Working Group of the UN Development Group (UNDG) and the Executive Committee on Humanitarian Affairs (ECHA) Working Group on Transition Issues.

Natural resource management in transition settings – UNDG/ ECHA Guidance Note.

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Remind the impact of military activities on the environment and think about the people which depend on it.

As the world watched more than 600 burning oil wells in Kuwait blackening the horizon during the first Gulf War in 1991, it was a reminder of the obvious impact of military activities on the environment and the people depending on it.

Arria-Formula meeting on Protection of the Environment during armed conflict

As the world watched more than 600 burning oil wells in Kuwait blackening the horizon during the first Gulf War in 1991, it was a reminder o

As the world watched more than 600 burning oil wells in Kuwait blackening the horizon during the first Gulf War in 1991, it was a reminder of the obvious impact of military activities on the environment and the people depending on it. That is why November 6 was declared the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict in 2001. Numerous examples from conflicts in the Balkans, the Middle East, Central Asia, South America, and Africa have showed us how ecosystems can be damaged from military toxins, how forests disappear as a result of war-economies, how the targeting of water infrastructure damages agriculture and livelihoods, and how the collapse of environmental governance in conflicts results in large waste management problems and communicable diseases, among other issues.

There have been small steps to make progress to address the responsibilities of warring parties concerning the environment, to improve humanitarian responses and include environmental restoration and protection in post-conflict reconstruction. The International Law Committee published its draft legal principles on protection of the environment in relation to armed conflict (PERAC), the International Committee of the Red Cross is working to update its guidelines for the military on the environment, while also calling for more attention on the links between warfare and the environment.

The meeting will provide a platform for Members of the Security Council to address the interlinkages between the environment and armed conflict, building from the initial discussions on the PERAC agenda and delving more deeply into current needs for language and cooperation in response to previous and ongoing degradation of the environment caused by armed forces in conflicts on the Council's agenda.

Panelists:

1. Mr. Satya Tripathi - Assistant Secretary-General, Head of New York Office at United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

2. Mr. Willem Zwijnenburg – Humanitarian Disarmament Leader at PAX

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Protecting the Environment in Armed Conflicts.

Marja Lehto - Protection of the Environment in Armed Conflicts

Marja Lehto - Protection of the Environment in Armed Conflicts

Ms. Marja Lehto, Senior Expert of Public International Law, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Member, International Law Commission.

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Support countries to improve natural resource management for conflict prevention and peacebuilding.

The United Nations Interagency Framework Team for Preventive Action (FT) manages the joint global UN-EU project financed by the European Union's Instrument for Stability which brings together UN agencies and departments (DESA, DPA, PBSO, HABITAT, IOM, UNDP, and UNEP) to support countries to improve natural resource management for conflict prevention and peace building.

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Focus on Conflicts involving natural resources.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has found that over the last 60 years, at least 40 percent of all internal conflicts have been linked to the exploitation of natural resources, whether high-value resources such as timber, diamonds, gold and oil, or scarce resources such as fertile land and water. Conflicts involving natural resources have also been found to be twice as likely to relapse.

UNEP - UN Environment Programme

The global authority for the environment with programmes focusing on climate, nature, pollution, sustainable development and more.

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Protection of the Environment During Armed Conflict.

Protection of the Environment During Armed Conflict - Security Council Arria-formula meeting

Security Council Arria-formula meeting.

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Enhance knowledge and skills on natural resources conflict prevention.

The EU-UN partnership has developed a number of practical guidance notes and training material on land and conflict, extractives and conflict, renewable resources and conflict, capacity building for natural resource management and conflict prevention in resource rich economies. The partnership also produced an analysis called Capacity Inventory of the available capacities for the consensual and sustainable management of land and natural resources within the UN system.

Using the Guidance Notes, on-line interactive modules have also been developed to impart this knowledge and skills particularly to field staff in both the UN and EU, as well as relevant HQ personnel and partners in countries. The on-line training programme begins with a global overview to enhance understanding of the link between natural resources and conflict. The second module focuses specifically on land and conflict, while the third and the fourth relates to extractives and renewable resources and conflict respectively.

- Land and Conflict

Extractive Industries and Conflict

Renewable Resources and Conflict

Capacity-Building for NRM

Conflict Prevention in Resource Rich Economies

Capacity Inventory

The modules are designed for partners in countries, Government institutions, civil society and EU and UN colleagues in the field but also in HQ with the hope of enhancing knowledge and skills on natural resources conflict prevention.

It is our pleasure to share all these materials through this website and we hope this will contribute to the better management of conflict over land and natural resources.