An important chance to bring animal welfare issues into the global spotlight is coming up at the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA 5) in Nairobi, Kenya, later this month.

We’ve joined forces with other animal groups to form a major global movement raising support for the adoption of a resolution calling on the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Executive Director to prepare a report exploring the link between animal welfare, the environment and sustainable development.

Crucial resolution

This resolution is crucial because it would help develop a better understanding of the relationship that exists between improving animal welfare and tackling the drivers of wildlife loss, climate change, pollution and pandemic diseases.

Improving animal welfare is also essential to helping UNEP to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

The resolution also calls on Member States to protect animals and their habitats and to meet their animal welfare requirements. This includes stopping biodiversity loss, restoring ecosystems, reducing climate change, pollution and the risk of new infectious diseases that can pass from animals to humans. It also calls for a move to more sustainable food systems.

Letters to environment ministers

Along with our movement partners, our teams across the world have been writing letters to their environment ministries asking them to back the resolution. There is also an animal resolution website where the Member States that are in favour of the resolution will be listed. 

We will be on the ground at the assembly, engaging with stakeholders to get the resolution passed.

Higher animal welfare standards are vital to  securing a sustainable future for animals, people, and the planet.That’s why we must persuade as many Member States as possible to support this resolution – it’s a potential game changer that will clearly show how animal welfare is a key factor of tackling the environmental crisis we’re facing.

Eirini Pitsilidi, our Global Head of Food Systems Advocacy

For the resolution to be approved, 97 votes are needed. The resolution is led by Ghana and initially sponsored by five other Member States: Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. Pakistan has since officially announced joining as a co-sponsor.

Read more about the links between factory farming and the environmental crisis.