Air pollution Ver 01: 1 May 2019

Agenda item 4(c): Review of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development in Asia and the Pacific: Environment and development

Draft resolution

Strengthening regional cooperation to tackle air pollution challenges

in Asia and the Pacific

Sponsored by: Republic of Korea

Co-sponsored by:

The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific,

PP1. Recalling General Assembly resolution 70/1 of 25 September

2015, entitled “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for

Sustainable Development” and its Sustainable Development Goal

targets related to air pollution, such as target 3.9 to substantially reduce

the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air,

water and soil pollution and contamination by 2030; target 7.1 to ensure

universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services by

2030; and target 11. 6 to reduce the adverse per capita environmental

impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality by

2030,

PP2. Recognizing that air pollution is a pressing environmental

challenge that has increased considerably in recent years, leading to a

rise in premature deaths, threatening livelihoods and the sustainable

development of the region, in particular in many of cities in Asia and the

Pacific where air pollution continues to be a major public health hazard

to an increasing urban population,

 PP3. Acknowledging assessment results of air pollution from the

World Health Organization that show that 9 out of 10 people breathe air

containing high levels of pollutants leading to an alarming death toll of

7 million people every year caused by ambient (outdoor) and household

air pollution1. Also acknowledging that some 4 million of these deaths

occur in Asia-Pacific, and that 92 per cent of Asia and the Pacific’s

population – about 4 billion people – are exposed to levels of air

pollution that pose a significant risk to their health2,

PP4. Recalling also resolution WHA68.8 of 26 May 2015 of the

World Health Organization that urged member States to strengthen

international cooperation to address health impacts of air pollution, and

resolution 1/7 of 27 June 2014 of the United Nations Environmental

Assembly that encouraged Governments to take action across sectors to

improve air quality to protect human health and the environment,

PP5. Recognizing the work of various intergovernmental

programmes in Asia and the Pacific concerning air pollution, which

include the Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution of the

Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Malé Declaration on

Control and Prevention of Air Pollution and Its Likely Transboundary

Effects for South Asia, and the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in

East Asia,

OP1. Welcomes the launch of the North-East Asia Clean Air

Partnership under the North-East Asian Subregional Programme for

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World Health Oganization https://www.who.int/airpollution/en/
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CCAC/UNEP 2019, Air Pollution in Asia and the Pacific: Science-based solutions
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Environmental Cooperation at its twenty-second Senior Officials

Meeting held in Beijing, China, in 20183;

OP2. Encourages all members and associate members to

strengthen domestic policies and measures to reduce air pollution and

mitigate the impacts of air pollution on human health;

OP3. Invites all members and associate members to share

with other members experience of subregional and regional cooperation

including the North-East Asia Clean Air Partnership to reduce air

pollution and enhance air quality;

OP4. Requests the Executive Secretary:

(a) To strengthen subregional and regional cooperation to

tackle air pollution in Asia and the Pacific, especially through scientific

assessment, application of digital innovation and geospatial

information, regional policy development, exchange of experiences

across regions, and public awareness;

(b) To collaborate with the regional and subregional

programmes on air pollution, relevant United Nations bodies including

the World Health Organization and the United Nations Environment

Programme, and multilateral and bilateral donors to tackle air pollution

challenges in Asia and the Pacific;

(c) To report to the Economic and Social Commission for

Asia and the Pacific at its seventy-seventh session on progress in the

implementation of the present resolution.

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NEASPEC/SOM(22)/8.
http://www.neaspec.org/sites/default/files//Report%20of%20the%20SOM-
22_with%20proceeding_1.pdf
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