The United Nations Environment Assembly,

Recalling decision 27/2 of the Governing Council, taken at its twenty-seventh and first universal session, held in Nairobi from 18 to 22 February 2013, to strengthen the regional presence of the United Nations Environment Programme in order to assist countries in the implementation of their national environmental programmes, policies and plans,

Also recalling Governing Council decision 13/6 on the 1985 Regional Programme for Africa inviting the Governments of the region to convene, in cooperation with regional organizations and institutions, an African environmental conference to discuss national environmental priorities and identify common problems worthy of a regional programme of action to deal with serious environmental problems in Africa, and requesting the Executive Director to instruct the Regional Office for Africa to provide the secretariat services for the Conference,

Also recalling Governing Council decision 20/11 of 1999 on support for cooperation between the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment and the United Nations Environment Programme through the regional offices for West Asia and Africa requesting the Executive Director to support, within available resources, the goals and aims of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment and the regional offices for West Asia and Africa and to establish an appropriate mechanism with a view to supporting the implementation and coordination of regional programmes in the Arab region,

Further recalling Governing Council resolution 5, section 3, of 1982 recommending to the Governments of Latin America and the Caribbean that they periodically convoke an intergovernmental regional meeting on the environment in Latin America and the Caribbean in order to establish policies and a strategy for the region in this field and requesting the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme to lend the support of the Permanent Secretariat for these intergovernmental regional meetings, through the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean,

Welcoming the progress and achievements of regional forums of environment ministers to which the United Nations Environment Programme provides support and recognizing those forums as important platforms for strengthening the engagement of countries in the preparation of and follow-up to sessions of the United Nations Environment Assembly,

Acknowledging with appreciation the First Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific, held in Bangkok on 19 and 20 May 2015, co-hosted by the Government of Thailand,

Noting further the request of the First Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific to the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme to hold regular sessions of the Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific,

Expressing appreciation for the support provided by the United Nations Environment Programme to the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment through its Regional Office for Africa,

Acknowledging the ongoing work of the Forum of Ministers of Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean, and taking note of the outcomes of the twentieth Meeting of the Forum held in March 2016 in Cartagena, Colombia,

1. Requests the Executive Director, within the mandate of the United Nations Environment Programme, and in accordance with the programme of work and budget to support and to facilitate convening and/or strengthening the existing regional forums of ministers of environment and environment authorities;

2. Also requests the Executive Director, within the mandate of the United Nations Environment Programme, to support and to facilitate convening new regional forums of ministers of environment and environment authorities upon the request of the regions, through the intergovernmental process, with all countries in the respective regions, and subject to the availability of financial resources;

3. Further requests the Executive Director to provide an update on progress made in implementing the present resolution through intersessional work relevant to the United Nations Environment Assembly as appropriate.