Every 2 years all governments of the world come to Nairobi for the United Nations Environment Assembly, since 2015, and civil society is part of the policy process, represented through the Major Groups and other stakeholders. WECF has been supporting the Women’s Major Group at the UN Environment Programme since the beginning, and also this year we supported the effective and meaningful participation of women environmental defenders during the 2 weeks of negotiations in Kenya. 

Women Environment Assembly and Women’s Delegate Lunch 

Prior to UNEA7, the civil society women and feminist organisations met to prepare their positions on the resolutions that were to be negotiated by governments – in particular on chemicals, waste, geoengineering and mining -, the very 1st ‘Women Environment Assembly’ with participants from all continents, see Women’s Major Group (WMG).  

On the 3rd day of the negotiations, the Women’s Major Group organised a networking strategy meeting with female delegates from Member States to meet and discuss the positions of the civil society women’s representatives. With 50 participants of which 30 member states, this proved to be an effective way to network and share recommendations on how to address the backlash against women’s rights language. These activities were supported with a small grant from our Ecofeminist Movement Building Fund ‘toxic-free future’.  

Women’s Major Group contribution to the negotiations

With our colleagues from WECF Germany, we engaged as part of the Women Major Group team in the negotiations at UNEA7, in particular those on chemicals and waste, and on minerals and metals. The negotiations were extremely tense and frustrating, as a handful of Member States tried to bring the world back 80 years by refusing any references to human rights or gender equality – in particular by Argentina, Iran, Russia and Saudi Arabia -, and even though the USA remained mostly absent from the negotiations, the negative influence of its current Administration, were strongly felt. Despite these efforts to weaken and roll-back international environmental governance, 11 out of 15 draft resolutions were adopted, but mostly in a much-weakened state. References to human rights due diligence, and to environmental management along the life-cycle were deleted, as were most references to gender equality and to the rights of Indigenous Peoples to Free Prior and Informed Consent.

Minerals, Metals and Mining

UNEA-7 adopted a watered-down resolution on Minerals and Metals. It was decided to organised a two-year dialogue on environmentally sound management of mining. As ecofeminist groups we were disappointed, as after the many deadly and disastrous mining spills that happened recently (Zambia, Brazil etc.) there is a momentum for a binding global framework to address mining pollution and to address the risks of framing toxic mining waste as “circular”. Also, a UN Task Force was launched on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, but key questions on governance, funding and accountability remain unanswered. Civil society organised several events including on the need for a moratorium on deep-sea mining. Our International Advisory Board member Yuyun Ismawati, was invited to speak at the round table session on the Gender dimensions of energy transition minerals that was organised by UNEP for Ministers and gender champions. She was one of two participants that have been working in mining sites, have been inside mines, and done research on the health impacts on women and their communities. It was important that she could share her concerns with ministers and other policy makers. Yuyun noted that she disagrees with undifferentiated strategies that aim to increase numbers of female workers in mining, as unfortunately jobs in the mining sector expose all workers to toxic substances, instead, she recommends the focus should be on phasing out primary mining in favour of a transition to safe non-toxic alternatives.

Toxic Skin Bleaching event and film-premiere

With our partners from WEP Nigeria, EEB, Zero-Mercury and the Women’s Major Group we organised the ‘Toxic Skin Bleaching’ event to draw attention to the growing global health thread from mercury-containing skin whitening creams. The Minamata Convention has as aim to stop the use of mercury worldwide. Despite the convention toxic cosmetics continue to be widely used as deep-rooted racialized beauty norms continue to drive demand for ‘whitening’ products. The growth of often illegal online sales of mercury containing cosmetics and their negative health impacts are a global concern, therefore the Minamata Convention has adopted in its last meeting of November 2025, decisions to support Member States in taking action. Furthermore, a programme in 18 countries across the world has been launched with support from the Global Environment Fund. Also, the Zero-Mercury campaign dedicates resources to ending toxic skin-bleaching creams, they have tested hundreds of creams from shops worldwide, so that all of us can check how dangerous they are, see the database here. The State Secretary of Environment of Bangladesh spoke at our event on the importance of addressing false beauty narratives and cooperating with women environmental organizations. John Baaki of Women Environmental Programme (WEP) launched the documentary movie “Fairness at a cost” with testimonies from experts, policy makers and civil society representatives, including Priscilla Achakpa of WEP and Christy Aikhorin of WECF. In Nigeria, an estimated 77% of women have used some form of skin-whitening cream. See the trailer of the WEP documentary here.

UNEP’s GEO-7 flagship publication blocked by oil-countries

The 7th Global Environment Outlook (GEO) report is produced by 200 researchers. The 1,100 page GEO is usually accompanied by a summary for policymakers, which is agreed by all the world’s countries. However, no agreement was reached due to objections from countries including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia, Turkey and Argentina, who opposed references to the negative impacts of fossil fuels, plastics and reduced meat in diets, and the need to end  $1.5 trillion in environmentally harmful subsidies to fossil fuels, food and mining. One of the key issues in GEO-7 is the $45 trillion a year in environmental damage caused by the burning of coal, oil and gas, and the pollution and destruction of nature caused by industrial agriculture. These costs – called externalities – must be priced into energy and food to reflect their real price and shift consumers towards greener choices alongside measures such as a universal basic income and subsidies to advance healthy, plant-based foods. 

Furthermore, our director Sascha Gabizon spoke at the side event on the inacceptable risks from geo-engineering technologies such as Solar Radiation Modification, and the need to support the African Group of Ministers of Environment that have called for a moratorium. Sascha also spoke at the event by the Asian civil society organisations on agro-ecology and supported partner Semia Gharbi of WEP Tunisia with the event on the Global Framework on Chemicals gender action plan.