Keynote by the President of the UN Environment Assembly .:. Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform

Keynote by the President of the UN Environment Assembly

Tuesday, 13 July 2021

3:00 PM - 3:15 PM

Virtually (held New York time)

Official meeting

Biographies

The UN Environment Assembly contributes to the effective implementation and full integration of the environmental dimension of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, acknowledging that a healthy environment is an essential requirement and key enabler for sustainable development. In his allocution, the President of the UN Environment Assembly, H.E. Mr. Sveinung Rotevatn, Minister of Environment and Climate of Norway, will convey the main messages of the UN Environment Assembly and present the contributions of the Assembly to the debates of the HLPF.

The first session of UNEA-5 (UNEA-5.1) was held online on 22-23 February 2021. A resumed in-person session of UNEA-5 will be held on 28 February – 2 March 2022 (UNEA-5.2)

Chair:

H.E. Mr. Munir Akram, President of Economic and Social Council

Keynote speaker:

H.E. Mr. Sveinung Rotevatn, President of the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly, Minister of Environment and Climate of Norway

Biographies

H.E. Mr. Munir Akram
President of Economic and Social Council

H.E. Mr. Munir Akram

President of Economic and Social Council

His Excellency Munir Akram was elected seventy-sixth President of the Economic and Social Council on 23 July 2020. Ambassador Akram is currently the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations in New York. Ambassador Akram assumed his position as Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, on November 1, 2019.

Ambassador Munir Akram previously served as Pakistan’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York for six years between 2002 and 2008, after serving as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva for seven years from 1995 to 2002.

Between 1988 and 1992, Munir Akram was Pakistan’s Ambassador to the European Council, Belgium and Luxemburg.

During his term at the United Nations, Ambassador Munir Akram served twice as President of the Security Council in May 2003 and in May 2004; President of the Economic and Social Council in 2005; Chairman of the Group of 77 and China (developing countries) in 2007, and Facilitator on UN Administrative Reform in 2006.

Among the positions he held in various intergovernmental organizations were: Member of the UN Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament; Chairman of the WTO Trade Policy Review Body; President of the Conference on Disarmament (June 1996).

Ambassador Akram joined the Foreign Service of Pakistan in 1967, holding various positions in the Foreign Ministry as Additional Foreign Secretary and Director-General dealing with the United Nations.

He obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Law and a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Karachi. He is a prolific writer and has lectured and published several articles and papers on various strategic, political and economic issues.

In recognition of his selfless service and outstanding performance in the field of diplomacy and foreign policy, he was conferred the Award of Hilal-i-Quaid-e-Azam by the President of Pakistan.

H.E. Mr. Sveinung Rotevatn
President of the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly, Minister of Climate and Environment of Norway