Environmental situation in the Gaza Strip – 23th UNEP Governing Council session/Global Ministerial Environment Forum – Report/decision

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United Nations Environment Programme

Report of the Governing Council

Twenty-fifth session (16-20 February 2009)

General Assembly

Official Records

Sixty-fourth Session

Supplement No. 25

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United Nations Environment Programme

Report of the twenty fifth session of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum

(Nairobi, 16-20 February 2009)

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III. Matters requiring the special attention of the General Assembly or the Economic and Social Council

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I. Environmental situation in the Gaza Strip

1. By its decision 25/12, the Council/Forum requested the Executive Director to deploy a mission of environmental experts to Gaza to assess the natural and environmental impacts on the Gaza Strip caused by the escalation of violence and hostilities; and requested the Executive Director to submit a follow-up report on the finding, results and recommendations to the Council/Forum at its eleventh special session, in 2010.

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Annex I

Decisions adopted by the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum at its twenty-fifth session

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Decision 25/12:  Environmental situation in the Gaza Strip

The Governing Council,

Recalling decision GCSS.VII/7 of 15 February 2002 on the environmenta1 situation in the occupied Palestinian territories,

Recalling also the desk study on the environment in the occupied Palestinian territories published by the United Nations Environment Programme in 2003⁴⁷ and the environmental assessment of the areas disengaged by Israel in the Gaza Strip issued by the United Nations Environment Programme in 2006,⁴⁸

Noting with appreciation the participation of the United Nations Environment Programme in the United Nations-led early recovery rapid needs assessment mission carried out from 25 January to 4 February 2009,

Emphasizing the need for States to protect and preserve the environment in accordance with their international legal obligations,

Taking into account the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development⁴⁹ and all its relevant principles,

Expressing its deep concern at the negative implications of the environmental impacts on the Gaza Strip caused by the escalation of violence and hostilities during December 2008 and January 2009,

Expressing great concern about the environment in the Gaza Strip,

1. Requests the United Nations Environment Programme to participate in the March 2009 Cairo conference on the reconstruction of Gaza, at which the report entitled “Gaza Early Recovery Rapid Needs Assessment” will be presented;

2. Requests the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme to deploy immediately thereafter a mission of environmental experts to Gaza in coordination with other relevant international organizations to assess the impacts on the natural resources and environment of the Gaza Strip caused by the escalation of violence and hostilities; to carry out an economic evaluation of the rehabilitation and restoration of the environmental damage; and to report to the Secretary-General thereon;

3. Also requests the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme to initiate and facilitate the implementation of the recommendations made in the desk study on the environment in the occupied Palestinian Territories published by the United Nations Environment Programme in 2003 and the environmental assessment of the areas disengaged by Israel in the Gaza Strip issued by the United Nations Environment Programme in 2006;

4. Calls upon the parties concerned to protect the environment as a matter of mutual interest in the region;

5. Calls upon member States and United Nations agencies to allocate adequate resources and provide technical, logistical and financial support and assistance to ensure the success of the United Nations Environment Programme mission of environmental experts to the Gaza Strip; and to implement the recommendations of the above-mentioned United Nations Environment Programme studies;

6. Requests the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme to submit a follow-up report on the findings, results and recommendations to the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum at its eleventh special session, in 2010.

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⁴⁷http://www.unep.org/download_file.multilingual.asp?FileID=105.

⁴⁸http://postconflict.unep.ch/publications/UNEP_Gaza_web.pdf.

⁴⁹Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.I.8 and corrigenda), vol. I: Resolutions adopted by the Conference, resolution 1, annex I.

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