Common Statement to UNEA by the Global Major Groups and Stakeholder Forum, read out by the Major Group of Farmers on behalf of all major groups and stakeholders.

This statement presents the Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum’s address at the opening of the first United Nations Environment Assembly on 23 June 2014. It recognizes UNEA’s historic moment amid a planetary environmental crisis and urges a bold outcome. It welcomes priorities—Environmental Rule of Law, Sustainable Development Goals, and combatting illegal trade in wildlife and timber—while insisting on rights-based and science-based approaches with attention to indigenous peoples and vulnerable communities. It stresses partnership with civil society, warns against weakening stakeholder participation and access to information, and calls for rules of procedure and accountable decision-making to safeguard a healthy environment.