Protection of Global Climate for Present and Future Generations of Humankind

A/RES/73/232View PDF

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 20dProtection of global climate for present and future generations of humankind, published in 2018.

What other versions does this mandate have?

17 versions · 2010–2025

This is an older version — the most recent is A/RES/80/138

2025A/RES/80/138Protection of global climate for present and future generations of humankindLatestCompare with previous version
2024A/RES/79/206Protection of global climate for present and future generations of humankindCompare with previous version
2023A/RES/78/153Protection of global climate for present and future generations of humankindCompare with previous version
2022A/RES/77/165Protection of global climate for present and future generations of humankindCompare with previous version
2022A/RES/76/205Protection of global climate for present and future generations of humankindCompare with previous version

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What subjects does this mandate have?

5 topics

Climate Change Conferences Environmental Agreements Environmental Protection Sustainable Development

What does this mandate say?

22 operative paragraphs

Reaffirms that climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time, expresses profound alarm that the emissions of greenhouse gases continue to rise globally, remains deeply concerned that all countries, particularly developing countries, are vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change and are already experiencing an increase in such impacts, including persistent drought and extreme weather events, land degradation, sea level rise, coastal erosion, ocean acidification and the retreat of mountain glaciers, further threatening food security, water availability and livelihoods, and efforts to eradicate poverty in all its forms and dimensions and achieve sustainable development, recognizes the substantial risks posed by climate change to health, and emphasizes in this regard that mitigation of and adaptation to climate change represent an immediate and urgent global priority;

Welcomes the first two sessions of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change after the adoption of the Paris Agreement,2 including the twenty-third session of the Conference of the Parties, presided over by the Government of Fiji, in Bonn, Germany, from 6 to 17 November 2017, and the twenty-second session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, hosted by the Government of Morocco in Marrakech from 7 to 18 November 2016;

Also welcomes the Paris Agreement and its early entry into force, on 4 November 2016, encourages all parties to the Agreement to fully implement the Agreement and parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change1 that have not yet done so to deposit their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, where appropriate, as soon as possible, and highlights the synergies between the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement;

Recalls that the Paris Agreement, in enhancing the implementation of the Convention, including its objective, aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change, in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty, including by holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, recognizing that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change, increasing the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change and foster climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development in a manner that does not threaten food production, and making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development;

Welcomes the nationally determined contributions submitted to date, and recalls that the regular updating of such contributions will reflect the highest possible level of ambition, in the light of different national circumstances, and provide the information necessary for clarity, transparency and understanding, in accordance with the relevant decisions;

Notes with concern that the nationally determined contributions presented thus far by the parties to the Paris Agreement are not sufficient to achieve the long-term temperature goal in article 2, paragraph 1 (a), of the Agreement;

Urges the completion of the Paris Agreement work programme at the twenty-fourth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and recognizes the importance of the facilitative dialogue of 2018, known as the Talanoa Dialogue, at the twenty-fourth session as an opportunity to take stock of the collective efforts of parties in relation to progress towards the long-term goal referred to in article 4, paragraph 1, of the Agreement and to inform the preparation of nationally determined contributions;

Emphasizes the need for collective efforts to promote sustainable development in its three dimensions in an innovative, coordinated, environmentally sound, open and shared manner;

Underlines the need to address the economic, social and environmental impacts of climate change, and emphasizes the need for action at all levels, to enhance efforts to build resilience through, inter alia, the sustainable management of ecosystems, and to build resilience to reduce the impacts and costs of natural disasters;

Recognizes that enhanced access to international climate finance is important to support mitigation and adaptation efforts in developing countries, especially those that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, and also recognizes the ongoing efforts in this regard;

Acknowledges the work undertaken under the auspices of the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action, and encourages non-party stakeholders to scale up their efforts to address and respond to climate change;

Looks forward to the climate summit called for by the Secretary-General, to be held in New York in 2019, to accelerate global action on climate change;

Also looks forward to the convening by the President of the General Assembly of the high-level meeting during the seventy-third session of the General Assembly on the issue of the protection of the global climate for present and future generations of humankind in the context of the economic, social and environmental dimensions of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;

Reiterates the resolve of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, as set out in paragraphs 3 and 4 of its decision 1/CP.19, to accelerate the full implementation of the decisions constituting the agreed outcome pursuant to its decision 1/CP.13 and to enhance ambition in the pre-2020 period in order to ensure the highest possible mitigation efforts under the Convention by all parties;

Welcomes the further acceptance or ratification of the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol by 117 countries, up from 95 countries one year ago, expresses concern that the Doha Amendment has not yet entered into force, and welcomes the efforts of those parties that are already implementing the Doha Amendment prior to its entry into force;

Takes note of the report of the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change on the twenty-third session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention;

Recognizes the importance for all countries of averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change, including extreme weather events and slow-onset events, and the role of sustainable development in reducing the risk of loss and damage, and in that regard takes note of the establishment of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage associated with Climate Change Impacts, relevant consecutive decisions of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention and article 8 of the Paris Agreement;

Notes with appreciation the hosting by the Government of Poland of the twenty-fourth session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, the fourteenth session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol and the third part of the first session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement, in Katowice, Poland, from 2 to 14 December 2018;

Urges Member States, taking into account that women and girls are often disproportionately affected by climate change owing to gender inequalities and the dependence of many women on natural resources for their livelihoods, to promote the integration of a gender perspective into environmental and climate change policies and to strengthen mechanisms and provide adequate resources towards achieving the full and equal participation of women in decision-making at all levels on environmental issues, and stresses the need to address the challenges posed by climate change that affect women and girls in particular, including through the implementation of the first gender action plan adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change at its twenty-third session, with a view to advancing towards the goal of mainstreaming a gender perspective into climate action;

Recalls the action plan for integrating sustainable development practices into Secretariat-wide operations and facilities management submitted by the Secretary-General and endorsed in resolution 72/219, and requests the Secretary-General to report on its implementation and improvements achieved to the General Assembly at its seventy-fourth session;

Notes the ongoing work and potential of the local communities and indigenous peoples platform of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, established for the exchange of experiences and sharing of best practices on mitigation and adaptation in a holistic and integrated manner, and recalls decision 2/CP.23 of the twenty-third session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the platform’s purpose and functions;

Invites the secretariat of the Convention to report, through the Secretary-General, to the General Assembly at its seventy-fourth session on the work of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, and decides to include, under the item entitled “Sustainable development”, the sub-item entitled “Protection of global climate for present and future generations of humankind” in the provisional agenda of its seventy-fourth session, unless otherwise agreed.

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