
Hello everyone,
2026 is off to a tumultuous start. Earlier this month, the US withdrew from more than 65 international organizations and UN entities. Withdrawal means ceasing participation in and funding for UN and other entities. It is uncertain whether and how this disengagement will impact the US’ initial USD 2 billon commitment to the UN’s “life-saving humanitarian work,” announced last December. What is certain is that divestment from the organization that is already facing a liquidity crisis will not go unnoticed.
Along with geopolitical divides and international law violations, funding shortages contribute to what the UN Secretary-General’s priorities for the year describe as the context of “chaos.” And yet within this context, the UN must rise to the challenge, continuing to adhere to the UN Charter, advance peace and justice, and build unity amid division and distrust.
The year’s first issue of ENB: The Big Picture offers some early reflections on how multilateral processes are faring amid these challenges.
The Weeks that Were
In December, the seventh session of the UN Environment Assembly – the world’s highest decision-making body on the environment – adopted 11 resolutions, three decisions, and a ministerial declaration on ‘Advancing Sustainable Solutions for a Resilient Planet.’ The ENB analysis of the meeting notes that UNEA-7 “demonstrated that multilateralism, while sometimes slow, can steadily deliver, achieving tangible progress on environmental policy through strengthened cooperation across agencies.”
However, the Assembly wrestled with challenges around translating scientifically established facts into actionable policy recommendations. The seventh edition of the Global Environment Outlook, launched during UNEA-7, lacks an intergovernmentally agreed summary for policymakers (SPM), complicating effective uptake of the findings. The US, Saudi Arabia, the Russian Federation, and Iran blocked the SPM’s adoption.
In 2025’s last series of meetings, the Councils of the family of funds managed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) approved work programs to the tune of USD 372 million in support of climate action, biodiversity conservation, pollution prevention and reduction, and integrated environmental action across Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean. On the last day of the meetings, the GEF Council announced the departure of GEF CEO and Chairperson Carlos Manuel Rodríguez. The Council is expected to appoint a new CEO and Chairperson to lead the GEF into its ninth replenishment cycle, which begins in July 2026.
The Weeks Ahead
In early 2026, chemicals and the science-policy interface will dominate the global multilateral landscape. In the first week of February, the new Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution will hold its first plenary session in Geneva. The meeting is expected to finalize the Panel’s rules of procedure and address policies for producing reports, among other issues.
Following the conclusion of the latest round of talks without agreement on a plastics treaty and the Chair’s subsequent resignation, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) will reconvene on 7 February in Geneva to address organizational and administrative matters, including the election of officers. No substantive negotiations will take place.
The 12th session of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES 12) will convene in Manchester in early February. Delegates are expected to deliver a new methodological assessment focused on the impacts and dependencies of business on biodiversity. Scientists, members of Indigenous and local communities, and representatives of civil society organizations will come together the day prior to exchange views on the meeting’s agenda items.
On the Horizon
During the second half of February, the sixth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) will convene. Delegates will review implementation of the Convention in advance of the 2026 UN Biodiversity Conference and consider issues relating to resource mobilization and the financial mechanism.
The 31st session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) will kick off in Kingston, Jamaica, during the last week of February. The session includes a two-week meeting of the ISA Council, which is expected to adopt the draft regulations on exploitation of deep-sea mineral resources – and to consider, “with a view to approval,” applications for planned exploration.
How do you see geopolitical tensions and budgetary constraints play out in the processes you follow? We’d love to know your thoughts. Elena, Jessica, and Lynn can be reached at e...@iisd.org. Or follow ENB on Bluesky and LinkedIn. If this newsletter was forwarded to you, sign up for one or more of our community peer-to-peer lists to continue receiving it.
Elena Kosolapova, Ph.D.
Senior Policy Advisor, International Environmental Governance (IEG) Program
International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
email: ekoso...@iisd.org
phone: +1(410)476-1620
SDG Knowledge Hub: sdg.iisd.org
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