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The fifth Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific (5th AP Forum) will take place from 3rd to 6th October 2023 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The event is jointly organized by the Government of Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Environment and the United Nations Environment Programme, and attendees have the option to participate either in-person or virtually.

The Forum provides a platform for governments, intergovernmental organizations, and other stakeholders to discuss and prioritize environmental issues in the Asia Pacific region. It aims to contribute to the outcome of the sixth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) taking place from 26 February to 1 March 2024 in Nairobi, with the theme “Effective, inclusive and sustainable multilateral actions to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution”.

The Forum offers Member States and other stakeholders an opportunity to present an Asia Pacific perspective on discussions at UNEA-6. Participants will review the progress of UNEA resolutions’ implementation in the region, as well as the progress made in regional forums and platforms where UNEP is the secretariat. Such forums include the Asia Pacific Clean Air Partnership, Asia Pacific Adaptation Network, Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia, and the Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on Environment and Health.

Furthermore, the Forum will identify regional priorities and emerging issues, and address challenges and opportunities to strengthen the regional environmental agenda, delivering on environmental dimension of the SDGs, and regional commitments to multilateral environmental agreements. Participants will contribute to the draft UNEA-6 result documents, including ministerial statements and draft resolutions, and will share their insights and ideas to achieving the environmental dimension of the 2030 SDGs.