UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT
PROGRAMME
Background Guide & Committee Instructions
Welcome Letter from the Executive Board
Greetings Delegates,
It gives us immense pleasure to welcome you to this simulation of the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) at this year's conference. We look forward to a deeply enriching, challenging, and
rewarding diplomatic experience.
The agenda for this session is "Formulating Integrated Global Strategies to Combat Climate
Change, Biodiversity Loss, and Pollution while Promoting Sustainable Development."
This study guide is by no means the end of your research. The global landscape of environmental
governance is shifting rapidly, and the Executive Board highly encourages you to look beyond these
pages. We would deeply appreciate it if delegates could uncover new paradigms within the Triple
Planetary Crisis, bringing fresh, innovative multilateral perspectives to the committee floor.
In this committee, substance trumps style. Extensive scientific research, combined with sharp policy
argumentation and a rock-solid presentation of data, is what defines an exceptional UNEP delegate.
Superficial fluency, dramatic diction, or rehearsed oratory skills carry very little weight compared to the
actionable, factual content you deliver in your speeches. If you thoroughly research the science,
understand your nation's environmental and economic priorities, and speak directly to the data, you will
make immense sense and command the room.
The all-pervasive nature of the climate, biodiversity, and pollution crises ensures that our debate will be
dynamic and highly relevant to every single Member State represented. We are certain that we will learn
immensely from your unique insights, and we hope you walk away with a profoundly enriched
understanding of modern environmental diplomacy.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to the Dais regarding any procedural or substantive doubts you may
have throughout your preparation.
We look forward to an exciting, high-yield committee!
All the very best,
The Executive Board
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
• Head Chair: Kimaya Desai • Deputy Chair: Kavyansh Jain
UNEP Background Guide & Committee Instructions 1
1. Introduction to UNEP
Established at the 1972 Stockholm Conference and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya—distinguishing it as the
only major United Nations agency based in the Global South—the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) serves as the leading global authority on the environment. Unlike specialized bodies such as the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) or the United Nations Convention on
Biological Diversity (UNCBD), which operate under narrow, single-issue frameworks, UNEP possesses a
uniquely comprehensive mandate and universal membership. This expansive scope allows it to address the
global environment holistically, driving international cooperation to ensure that critical ecological issues are
recognized and actively tackled by governments worldwide.
By providing robust policy guidance, facilitating the seamless sharing of environmental knowledge, and
monitoring ecological trends, UNEP inspires and enables nations to improve their current quality of life without
compromising the well-being of future generations. At the core of UNEP's modern mission is a coordinated
effort to dismantle the "triple planetary crisis" of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution.
Because environmental degradation heavily impacts vulnerable economies, UNEP’s framework guarantees a
special status for developing nations, ensuring they receive targeted funding, technological support, and
equitable policy considerations. Rather than treating ecological threats as isolated headaches, the agency
leverages its universal platform to help member states transition away from fragmented diplomacy and toward
a unified, integrated global strategy. Through this inclusive approach, UNEP successfully aligns aggressive
environmental protections with the socio-economic priorities of the Global South, proving that sustainable
development and planetary preservation are deeply dependent on one another.
Powers and Limitations
• Powers: UNEP’s power is primarily scientific, advisory, and facilitative. It synthesizes state-of-the-art data
to publish definitive benchmarks like the Emissions Gap Report and Global Environment Outlook (GEO). It
acts as a neutral convener to help states draft international environmental laws and treaties.
• Limitations: Crucially, UNEP lacks enforcement or regulatory authority. It cannot penalize countries or
legally compel compliance with treaties. Furthermore, it operates primarily on voluntary contributions
through its Environment Fund, leaving its budget and programmatic execution heavily reliant on the political
will of Member States.
2. Committee Rules and Procedure
The Rules of Procedure (RoP) provide the framework that governs the functioning of a United Nations
General Assembly (UNGA) committee during a Model United Nations (MUN) conference. These rules ensure
that debate remains organized, fair, and productive while giving every delegation an equal opportunity to
participate.
The committee progresses through different stages, beginning with the opening of debate, followed by formal
and informal discussions, drafting of resolutions, and finally voting on proposed solutions. Understanding the
various motions and points is essential for delegates to participate effectively and strategically.
UNEP Background Guide & Committee Instructions 2
I. Opening Motions
1. Motion to Open Debate
Description: This is the first procedural motion raised after the completion of the roll call. It formally begins
the committee session and allows delegates to commence discussion on the agenda before the committee.
Once this motion is adopted, the committee officially enters debate.
Purpose: Officially starts committee proceedings, enables the Chair to proceed with agenda setting, and
marks the beginning of formal debate.
2. Motion to Set the Agenda
Description: When multiple agenda items are listed for discussion, delegates must determine which topic will
be debated first. A delegate proposes a motion to set the agenda for one specific topic. The Chair generally
allows two speakers in favour and two speakers against the proposed agenda order before putting the motion
to vote. A simple majority is required for adoption.
Purpose: Determines the order of discussion, ensures committee consensus on priorities, and allows
delegates to advocate for urgent issues.
3. Motion to Open the General Speakers' List (GSL)
Description: After the agenda has been established, delegates move to open the General Speakers' List
(GSL). This list serves as the primary platform for formal speeches throughout committee proceedings.
Delegates may be added to or removed from the list at any time by notifying the Chair. Traditionally, the
delegate proposing this motion may choose to speak first or last.
Purpose: Establishes the formal sequence of speakers, provides opportunities to present national policies,
and serves as the backbone of formal committee debate.
4. Motion to Suspend the Meeting
Description: A Motion to Suspend the Meeting temporarily pauses committee proceedings. It is commonly
used for lunch breaks, dinner breaks, coffee breaks, or the conclusion of committee sessions for the day.
Debate resumes once the suspension period has ended.
Purpose: Allows scheduled breaks, pauses debate without ending the session, and maintains orderly
committee proceedings.
5. Motion to Adjourn the Session
Description: This motion permanently concludes the committee's work at the end of the conference. Once
adopted, no further debate or voting may take place.
Purpose: Officially closes committee proceedings and marks the completion of all committee business.
II. Debate and Negotiation Motions
1. Motion to Enter a Moderated Caucus
Description: A Moderated Caucus temporarily suspends the General Speakers' List and introduces a
structured discussion on a specific sub-topic. Delegates deliver short speeches under the Chair's moderation.
UNEP Background Guide & Committee Instructions 3
When proposing this motion, the delegate must specify the total duration of the caucus, individual speaking
time, and the specific topic for discussion.
"Motion for a 10-minute Moderated Caucus with a 45-second speaking time on financing marine plastic
pollution infrastructure."
Purpose: Focuses discussion on a particular issue, encourages dynamic debate, and helps identify key
concerns and possible solutions.
2. Motion to Enter an Unmoderated Caucus
Description: During an Unmoderated Caucus, all formal rules are temporarily suspended. Delegates are free
to leave their seats, negotiate with other countries, form alliances (blocs), draft working papers, merge
proposals, and prepare draft resolutions. The motion must specify only the total duration.
Purpose: Facilitates informal negotiations, encourages coalition-building, and enables the drafting and
revision of documents.
3. Motion to Introduce a Working Paper or Draft Resolution
Description: Once delegates have prepared a working paper or draft resolution and obtained the required
number of signatories along with the Chair's approval, they may introduce the document to the committee.
The document is then distributed for discussion and consideration.
Purpose: Presents proposed solutions to the committee, allows delegates to debate specific clauses, and
initiates formal consideration of draft resolutions.
III. Parliamentary Points
1. Point of Personal Privilege
Description: This point is raised when a delegate faces a physical discomfort or obstacle that prevents
effective participation, such as difficulty hearing a speaker, poor room temperature, or technical issues.
Important Rule: It is the only point permitted to interrupt a speaker if the issue directly affects the delegate's
ability to hear or participate.
Purpose: Ensures delegates can participate comfortably and resolves immediate physical or technical
concerns.
2. Point of Order
Description: A Point of Order is raised when a delegate believes that the Chair or another delegate has
violated the established Rules of Procedure. It must be raised immediately after the procedural error occurs.
Purpose: Maintains procedural fairness, ensures adherence to committee rules, and prevents the misuse of
parliamentary procedure.
3. Point of Parliamentary Inquiry
Description: A Point of Parliamentary Inquiry is directed to the Chair to seek clarification regarding committee
procedure. It may concern voting methods, speaking order, amendment procedures, or any other procedural
matter. It cannot be used to ask substantive questions about the committee's agenda.
UNEP Background Guide & Committee Instructions 4
Purpose: Clarifies procedural uncertainties, assists delegates in correctly following committee rules, and
promotes the efficient conduct of debate.
IV. Closing Debate and Voting Procedures
1. Motion to Close Debate
Description: This motion ends all debate on the agenda item and moves the committee directly into voting
procedure. If adopted, no further speeches, moderated caucuses, or unmoderated caucuses are permitted.
Purpose: Concludes substantive debate, begins formal voting procedures, and indicates that the committee is
ready to make a decision.
2. Motion to Divide the Question
Description: This motion requests that specific operative clauses of a draft resolution be voted upon
separately. It is generally used when certain clauses are controversial while the remainder of the resolution
enjoys broad support.
Purpose: Separates disputed provisions, preserves widely accepted sections of a resolution, and allows more
precise voting.
3. Motion to Vote by Acclamation (Consensus)
Description: This motion seeks adoption of a resolution without a formal vote. The Chair asks whether any
delegation objects to adopting the resolution. If no objections are raised, the resolution is adopted
unanimously by consensus.
Purpose: Reflects the consensus-based nature of UN diplomacy, demonstrates broad international
agreement, and eliminates the need for a recorded vote.
4. Motion for a Roll-Call Vote
Description: Instead of a standard placard vote, delegates may request a Roll-Call Vote. The Chair calls each
Member State individually, requiring delegates to verbally announce their vote as "Yes," "No," "Abstain," or
"Pass." These votes become part of the committee's official record.
Purpose: Records each country's individual position, promotes transparency and accountability, and is
commonly used for significant or politically sensitive resolutions.
3. Introduction of the Agenda
For decades, international diplomacy approached global environmental degradation through a fragmented
lens. The international community established isolated, siloed governance structures: the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) focused strictly on greenhouse gases; the Convention
on Biological Diversity (CBD) managed ecosystems and endangered species; and the Basel, Rotterdam, and
Stockholm Conventions regulated toxic chemicals and waste.
However, nature operates as an interconnected, singular system. Recognizing this reality, scientists and the
United Nations now define our current ecological emergency not as isolated events, but as a singular Triple
Planetary Crisis: the deeply intertwined triad of Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss, and Pollution.
UNEP Background Guide & Committee Instructions 5
1. The Interconnected Nature of the Crisis
The defining characteristic of the Triple Planetary Crisis is its feedback loops. A failure to address one crisis
actively accelerates the other two. When any single element is aggravated, it triggers a cascading degradation
across the entire global ecosystem.
Case Study: The Marine Ecosystem Feedback Loop
• The Pollution Trigger: Millions of metric tons of macro- and microplastic pollution enter the world's
oceans annually.
• The Biodiversity Consequence: As these plastics break down, they leach toxic chemicals and are
ingested by marine life. This drastically reduces populations of vital marine species, disrupting the marine
food web from apex predators down to phytoplankton.
• The Climate Acceleration: Healthy marine ecosystems—particularly phytoplankton, whale populations,
and coastal mangroves—are responsible for absorbing roughly 25% of global carbon dioxide emissions.
As pollution destroys this biodiversity, the ocean’s capacity to act as a carbon sink weakens. More carbon
remains in the atmosphere, warming the planet and further acidifying the oceans, which in turn kills off
more marine life.
2. The Mandate of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA)
As the world's highest-level decision-making body on the environment, the United Nations Environment
Assembly (UNEA) is tasked with shifting global governance away from fragmented, single-issue treaties and
toward an Integrated Global Strategy. The core objective is to design and implement policy frameworks
where a single dollar invested, or a single piece of legislation enacted, yields a triple dividend.
Key Operational Pillars of the Integrated Strategy:
• Co-Beneficial Financing: Directing global capital toward initiatives that solve multiple problems at once.
For instance, funding the restoration of mangrove forests simultaneously captures carbon (Climate),
provides habitats for endangered marine life (Biodiversity), and filters agricultural runoff from entering the
sea (Pollution).
• Circular Economy Frameworks: Shifting global production and consumption away from the traditional
"take-make-waste" model. By enforcing extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws, nations can reduce
plastic production and chemical pollution, lower industrial emissions, and decrease the habitat destruction
caused by raw resource extraction.
• Harmonized Global Policy: Aligning national laws so that environmental regulations do not contradict one
another, ensuring that clean energy transitions (like mining for electric vehicle battery minerals) do not
inadvertently destroy local biodiversity or create toxic waste crises.
UNEP Background Guide & Committee Instructions 6
4. Key Vocabulary
TERM DEFINITION
Triple Planetary Crisis The three interconnected environmental frameworks—climate change,
biodiversity loss, and pollution—that together threaten global ecological
stability.
Nature-based Solutions Actions that protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural
(NbS) ecosystems to solve human problems. For instance, planting mangroves
along a coastline acts as a buffer against storm surges (climate
adaptation), creates a nursery for fish (biodiversity), and naturally filters
coastal runoff (pollution control).
Circular Economy An industrial model designed to eliminate waste entirely. Instead of the
traditional linear model (extract raw materials → manufacture → throw
away), a circular economy focuses on recycling, repairing, and reusing
materials indefinitely.
Extended Producer A policy strategy that makes manufacturing companies financially and
Responsibility (EPR) physically responsible for their products even after consumers throw
them away. If a tech company builds a phone, an EPR law requires them
to fund and run the recycling network to reclaim its toxic components.
Common But A core UN legal principle. It states that while all countries are
Differentiated responsible for protecting the environment, developed nations must carry
Responsibilities (CBDR) a heavier financial and technological load because they historically
caused the most emissions and industrial pollution.
Primary Plastic Polymers Raw, newly manufactured virgin plastic made directly from
petrochemicals, rather than plastic created from recycled materials.
5. Historical Background
The modern framework of global environmental governance began at the 1972 UN Conference on the Human
Environment in Stockholm, a historic gathering that permanently linked human development with
environmental health and directly catalyzed the creation of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
However, this holistic vision suffered severe institutional fragmentation during the 1992 Rio Earth Summit.
While groundbreaking in scope, the Rio Summit fractured international environmental law by establishing
three distinct legal treaties—collectively known as the "Rio Conventions": the UNFCCC (targeting emissions
and climate change), the CBD (protecting ecosystems and species), and the UNCCD (combating land
degradation and desertification).
UNEP Background Guide & Committee Instructions 7
This triple-track architecture inadvertently institutionalized decades of bureaucratic separation, resulting in
isolated negotiation tracks hosted in completely different cities, while critical adjacent crises like chemical
pollution were pushed out entirely into separate, specialized treaties like the Stockholm Convention on
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).
By the late 2010s, this siloed approach proved increasingly ineffective at stopping global ecological decline,
leading to systemic institutional reforms. The tipping point arrived with groundbreaking research from the
Stockholm Resilience Centre, which pioneered the Planetary Boundaries framework to map the nine
biophysical thresholds that define a "safe operating space for humanity." This scientific model empirically
demonstrated that earth systems are deeply coupled; transgressing boundaries in one area—such as
chemical pollution or ocean acidification—triggers a destructive domino effect that rapidly collapses others,
irrespective of arbitrary political treaties.
Confronted by this ecological reality, UNEP fundamentally pivoted its strategic design away from fragmented
governance and toward integrated diplomacy, a shift encapsulated in its definitive 2025 white paper From
Silos to Synergies, which outlines modern policy pathways to dismantle institutional barriers and manage
climate, biodiversity, and pollution as a singular, intertwined emergency.
6. Current Developments (2025–2026)
• The Global Plastics Treaty Deadlock (2025–2026): In March 2022, UNEA passed Resolution 5/14,
mandating a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution across its full life cycle. However, negotiations
have stalled. The high-stakes INC-5.2 session in Geneva (August 2025) adjourned without a consensus on
the final text because nations remained deeply split over production limits. A brief administrative follow-up
session (INC-5.3 in February 2026) elected a new negotiation Chair but left the intense, underlying political
disagreements completely unresolved.
• The 1.5°C Boundary Breach: Data compiled by UNEP and the World Meteorological Organization
(WMO) confirmed that rolling global average temperatures have continuously skirted or crossed the critical
1.5°C threshold. This has forced UNEA to prioritize emergency, ecosystem-wide adaptation policies over
slow, long-term mitigation strategies.
• World Environment Day 2026: Hosted by Azerbaijan under the official theme "Inspired by Nature. For
Climate. For Our Future," the 2026 campaign centers explicitly on scaling up global nature-based solutions
to tackle the triple crisis at the same time.
Major Challenges and Controversies
• Upstream Production Caps vs. Downstream Management: High-ambition nations argue that recycling
is structurally insufficient, pointing out that only about 9% of global plastic is successfully recycled. They
demand strict, legally binding limits on the production of virgin plastic polymers. Petrochemical-exporting
nations and major manufacturing corporations fiercely oppose this, arguing the treaty should focus entirely
on downstream technical fixes, like waste management and advanced chemical recycling.
• The Massive Conservation Finance Deficit: Developing countries argue that they cannot be expected to
stop logging their forests or utilizing polluting energy grids unless developed nations provide predictable,
UNEP Background Guide & Committee Instructions 8
unconditional financial aid. Tensions remain exceptionally high regarding the scale of the Global Loss and
Damage Fund.
• Sovereignty Over Natural Resources: Bio-rich nations (especially those containing vast tropical
rainforests) often reject intrusive international oversight of their conservation zones. They view strict,
externally enforced preservation mandates as a violation of their sovereign right to handle their own natural
assets for domestic economic growth.
7. Resolution Guide
A UN resolution is structured as a single, long sentence divided into two main parts: Preambulatory Clauses
(the justification/history) and Operative Clauses (the actions to be taken).
Step 1: Preambulatory Clauses (Setting the Stage)
These clauses state why the committee is gathered, citing past treaties, scientific consensus, and the urgency
of the problem. They never contain actions or mandates.
• Common Starters: Deeply concerned, Alarmed by, Recalling, Recognizing, Reaffirming.
Deeply concerned by the findings of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) outlining the self-
reinforcing feedback loops of the Triple Planetary Crisis, whereby plastic pollution actively degrades
marine biodiversity and subsequently diminishes the ocean's capacity to act as a vital global carbon
sink,
Step 2: Operative Clauses (The Action Plan)
These clauses detail exactly what the UN and member states will do. They are numbered, end in semicolons,
and contain your concrete solutions.
• Common Starters: Calls upon, Recommends, Urges, Authorizes, Designates, Establishes.
1. Calls upon member states to establish a standardized National Integrated Ecological Framework
(NIEF) that requires all domestic industrial regulations to simultaneously evaluate emissions impact,
chemical waste management, and local habitat preservation before project approval;
Step 3: Structuring an Integrated Operative Framework
When drafting, organize your operative clauses chronologically to show a clear, logical path from funding to
execution.
UNEP Background Guide & Committee Instructions 9
1. FINANCING THE STRATEGY
e.g., Establishes a "Triple Dividend Fund" via IMF...
2. IMPLEMENTING THE ACTIONS
e.g., Urges a phased ban on microplastic additives...
3. ENFORCEMENT & REPORTING
e.g., Designates UNEP to oversee bi-annual audits...
UNEP Background Guide & Committee Instructions 10