UNEP & India sign Host Country Agreement to enhance collaborative environmental action
Glasgow, Nov 10 (FN Bureau) The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and India on Wednesday signed a Host Country Agreement on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) here, with an aim to enhance collaborative environmental action. India was represented by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, while UNEP by its Executive Director Inger Andersen. They signed the agreement. The Host Country Agreement comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced his commitment to climate change by presenting his five key agendas at the COP26 key climate summit on November 1.The agreement was approved on September 15 by the Cabinet. It provides UNEP India equal legal stature as other UN agencies in India and will enable it to work even more closely with the Government on key areas of environment in India, in South Asia and at the global level, a statement said.
The agreement will further enhance science and technical assistance provided by UNEP India to the Government towards mitigation of key environmental issues. It will strengthen the collaborative efforts of UNEP India, an important implementing agency for the Centre under the Global Environment Facility (GEF). It will also enable UNEP to better support the Government of India on Conventions and Multilateral Environment Agreements, the environmental dimensions of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development, and other internationally agreed global environmental goals. The agreement will facilitate UNEP to broaden its collaboration with Ministries and other stakeholders. On the occasion, Andersen said, “India plays a hugely important role in global action on the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution and waste.”
“We at UNEP look forward to deepening our partnership with India, towards strengthening the country’s ability to deliver on the environmental dimensions of sustainable development,” a release issued by the UNEP quoted her as saying. The Union Minister said, “The presence of UNEP would enable a more effective delivery and coordination of UNEP’s programme of work in India., said Shri Bhupender Yadav. A UNEP presence will now be established within the context of the UN country team and the UN Technical Assistance Framework with the Government of India.”