[IYRPsupportgroup] UNEA 4 Resolution on sustainable rangelands and pastoralism

[Maryam Niamir-Fuller]

Dear friends and colleagues

I am very pleased to share with you the final Resolution L17 passed
yesterday by the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) at its 4th
Session. It was originally proposed by the Government of Kenya and
supported by the Africa Group.

It is a very significant achievement to have a resolution specifically on
rangelands and pastoralism (compared for example to having a sentence
embedded into another wider resolution). In my opinion it shows that the
world's governments and other stakeholders are becoming increasingly
cognizant of the vital importance of addressing this issue in all of its
aspects.

A careful reading of the resolution will show you that:

a) there continues to be support for raising global awareness, and it
recognizes the process for an IYRP that the Government of Mongolia has
initiated through FAO's COAG; our eyes therefore turn next to that process;

b) UNEP has been requested to assist countries who wish to conduct regional
assessments of rangelands and pastoralism; my hope is that we will now have
a way to work together to first harmonize methodologies and terminologies
for these assessments, and to focus collectively on the gaps in information
identified through the UNEP Gap Analysis (Case of Benign Neglect) and other
efforts.

c) efforts should be redoubled to seek innovative solutions; the resolution
acknowledges the value of traditional knowledge grazing and herding
mechanisms and institutions, and calls for ecosystem restoration,
resilience planning, financing of sustainable development, and more.

The final text of the Resolution in all 5 UN languages can be found on:

http://web.unep.org/environmentassembly/ministerial-declaration-resolutions-and-decisions-unea-4


The UNEP Gap Analysis report can be found on:

> The report and its executive summaries in 5 UN languages:
http://www.grida.no/publications/428

> The story map presentation:
https://www.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=e34ff8095ea34e96a298d13e861b8b9d

I wish to thank so many of our colleagues who worked both in Nairobi and
elsewhere to make this Resolution happen, and the institutional support
particularly of the Governments of Mongolia and Kenya, of IRC, SRM,
GRID-Arendal, ILRI, IUCN, CELEP, and all those who attended the Ministerial
Breakfast at UNEA. I apologize if I have inadvertently left anyone out!

In conclusion, I believe that this Resolution L17, and the UNEP Gap
Analysis report can be effective tools for you to work within your
countries and institutions to continue to enhance our collective support to
sustainable rangelands and pastoralism.

Thank you and best regards

Dr. Maryam Niamir-Fuller
Advisor on Sustainability
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