Pakistan was elected to the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) this week, a first for a 220-million strong nation that is often listed among top 10 countries in the world affected by climate change.
The UNEA, formed in 2012, is the world’s highest-level decision-making body on issues related to the environment.
Pakistan, last year’s host of the United Nations’ annual World Environment Day on June 5, is ranked at number 8 on the list of countries worldwide that are affected the most by climate change, according to the Global Climate Risk Index 2021, having been regularly hit by devastating floods in recent years, displacing hundreds of thousands of people and destroying swathes of agricultural land.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change, Malik Amin Aslam, was elected as one of eight vice presidents of the UN Environment Assembly.
“Honored to be elected by #UNEA to represent #Pakistan and serve as #VicePresident and member of 8-member Ministerial #Bureau — the governance body of @UNEP,” Aslam said on Twitter.
