Joint Statement by Global Civil Society Organizations to UNEA 5.2 on Ukraine

We are deeply worried as we are witnessing the grave humanitarian consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This armed conflict poses serious risks to the lives and health of Ukraine’s people in the first place, while in turn this can also bring severe environmental health risks and affects Ukraine’s biodiversity, ecosystems and natural resources that they depend on.

We are gathered here in Nairobi to address a wide range of environmental issues, and to Act for Nature. Yet we must underscore the relationship between armed conflicts and the environment.

Already there are serious concerns over the state of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities. Critical staff struggle with maintenance of the Chernobyl nuclear site, currently under control of Russian forces, and other nuclear waste storage sites are at risk from nearby shelling. Furthermore, there are hundreds of industrial sites at risk from being targeted, and capable of causing environmental emergencies if hit, placing the health of nearby communities and ecosystems at risk in the near- and long-term.

In recent days, several fuel depots and gas lines were bombed, with additional reports of burning warehouses storing chemicals. Damage to water infrastructure affects water security, and damage and disruption to electricity networks heightens the risks of flooding mines storing nuclear and toxic waste in Donbas, that can further increase risks for the entire region, and may eventually make large parts of it uninhabitable.

Destruction of people’s habitats and collapse of environmental governance will further contribute to serious issues around public health, solid waste management and controls of chemical and industrial toxics, in particular those in populated areas. Russian attacks on munitions depots have already led to the dispersal of military-origin heavy metals and toxic hazardous energetic materials, posing additional human health and environmental risks.

In 2016, UNEA-2 adopted a Ukrainian resolution on the protection of the environment in areas affected by armed conflict. The necessity of this was reiterated in 2017, when UNEA-3 adopted an Iraqi-led resolution on conflict-pollution. Today, we are urging States here in Nairobi to once again, and under pressing circumstances, stress the importance of addressing the relationships between the environment, peace and security. And, in response to the serious environmental risks triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, to:

• Provide funds and technical expertise for an initial rapid environmental assessment by UNEP in consultation with humanitarian agencies and civil society groups, in Ukraine;
• Support local and international initiatives for the identification and monitoring of conflict-linked environmental risks and damage, and;
• Pledge the environmental assistance necessary to Ukraine to address the consequences of the conflict for its people and ecosystems, and to support clean-up and restoration efforts.

Ukraine is just one of many countries where armed conflicts are impacting the environment and undermining environmental governance. We therefore urge States to ensure that the environmental dimensions of armed conflicts are part of UNEP’s core work, as well as that of UNEA.

We urge States to push back against the vocal minority of governments that oppose UNEP’s activities in this space. We also urge them to ensure that UNEP’s historical and vital work on the environmental dimensions of conflicts remains a visible and a meaningful part of its current Medium-Term Strategy, as was promised.

The situation in Ukraine demonstrates why these themes must be a part of the Assembly’s dialogues and decisions. Their absence from a range of relevant resolutions this year has not gone unnoticed. Whether this is the link between biodiversity loss and armed conflicts, between mineral resource governance and insecurity, or in the potential role that nature can play in supporting human security, or in post-conflict recovery and conflict transformation.

UNEP and UNEA must grasp the vital role that they can play in advancing the environment, peace and security agenda, and in turn supporting stronger norms on the protection of the environment in relation to armed conflicts across the whole UN system, and beyond.

Signed by:

5 Gyres
Alaska Community Action on Toxics
Alp Analytica
Asociación Retorna
Azul (USA/Mexico)
Bali Waste Platform
Bankwatch Romania
Bioneer.ee (MTÜ Ökotark)
Blái herinn (Blue army in Iceland)
Blum Center for Poverty Alleviation and
Sustainable Development
Bye Bye Plastic Bags
Center for International Environmental Law
Centre for Financial Accountability (CFA), India
CHEM Trust
CODEPINK, US
Concern waste sindh & recycling
Conflict and Environment Observatory
ECOTON Indonesia
Ecowaste Coalition, Philippines
Ekologi brez meja
Environmental Defence Canada
Environmental Law Institute
Environmental Rights Foundation (ERF), Taiwan
Estonian Roundtable for Development
Cooperation
European Environmental Bureau
Fridays For Future Estonia
Friends of the Baltic
Friends of the Earth Cyprus
Geneva Water Hub, Switzerland
Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN)
Global Council for Science and the Environment
Green Heroes Austria
Green Pihiliipines Migrant Workers Union
Green Tiger Foundation (Estonia)
Greeners Action (Hong Kong)
Greens Movement of Georgia/ Friend of the Earth Georgia
Guta Environmental Law Association
Health Care Without Harm SE Asia
Heirs To Our Oceans
Humusz Szövetség
IBON International Africa
IDLoome OÜ
Kindred Community (Singapore)
Korean Federation for Environmental Movement(KFEM)
Legacies of War
Legambiente Onlus (Italy)
Let’s Do It Hungary
Let’s Do It Mauritius
Let’s Do it pakistan
Let’s Do It World (Global)
Let’s Do It Foundation
let’s Do It Indonesia
/ World Cleanup Day Indonesia
Let’s Do It Iran
Let’s Do It Japan
/ World Cleanup Day Japan
let’s Do It Taiwan
Let’s Do It Tükiye (Turkey)
Let’s Do It World (LDIW) Malaysia
/ Malaysian Humanitarian Foundation (MHF)
Let’s Do It World (LDIW) Myanmar
Mai Mult Verde Romania
Mondo (Estonia)
Mother Earth Foundation Philippines
MTÜ Eesti Vegan Selts
MTÜ Paranduskelder (Estonia)
MTÜ Rannamänniku kaitseks (Estonia)
MTÜ Roheline Pärnumaa
MTÜ Uuskasutuskeskus (Estonia)
New Idea Association (Poland)
Niilusoo MTÜ
Nipe Fagio (Tanzania)
No Plastic In My Sea (France)
Norwegian People’s Aid
Oceanic Global
PAX
Pax Christi International
Peak Plastic Foundation (USA)
Pittsburghers Against Single Use Plastic (PASUP)
Plastic Free Seas (Hong Kong)
Plastic Pollution Coalition
Plastic Soup Foundation (Netherlands)
Plastic Soup Surfer
Polish Zero Waste Association
Political Ecology Research Centre, Massey
University
Project Mariknows (Philippines)
Race for Water Foundation
Rezero
Save Estonia’s Forests (Päästame Eesti Metsad
MTÜ)
Sciaena (Portugal)
Scientists for Global Responsibility (UK)
Stop Ecocide International
Studio Viridis Nature Education (Estonia)
The Last Beach Cleanup
The Last Plastic Straw
The Skill Mill (UK)
Trustworks Global
Turtle Island Restoration Network
Vietnam Zero Waste Alliance
VOICE Ireland
Women Engage for a Common Future
Zelena akcija / Friends of the Earth Croatia
ZERO - Association for the Sustainability of the
Earth System
Zero Waste Austria
Zero Waste Europe
Zero Waste Himalaya
Zero Waste Laos
Zero Waste Nepal/HECAF360
Zero Waste Society (Ukraine)
Zoi Environment Network
Zoological Society of London