Glow-worms, Arachnocampa genus, New Zealand. Photo: Max Wisshak

UNEA-7 & Karst Geoecosystems

Why UNEA-7 is a Historic Turning Point for Caves and Karst?

Landmark Resolution: For the first time in UN history, a member state (Republic of Indonesia) has proposed a resolution to UNEA focused on protecting and sustainably managing karst ecosystems worldwide.

Broad Scope of the Draft: The Indonesian resolution highlights the critical importance of karst ecosystems for global water security, biodiversity, climate resilience, and economic development, advocating for their protection and sustainable management.

Unprecedented Formal Involvement: This marks the first time a specialized karst and cave organization, the German Speleological Federation (VdHK), is formally mobilized within UNEP. As the only UNEP-accredited speleological organization, it will act as consultant and its president Baerbel Vogel as NGO Major Group contact point.

Fungus Gnat, Mycetophilidae. Photo: Klaus Bogon

The Indonesian UNEA Resolution at a glance

This resolution calls on Member States to take comprehensive action, including:

Strengthening governance through better laws, land-use planning, and environmental assessments.
Promoting sustainable practices in tourism, agriculture, and mining to balance conservation and development.
Enhancing scientific research, monitoring, and inclusive stakeholder engagement.

It further requests UNEP and other UN agencies to support these efforts by:

Mobilizing financial resources and fostering international collaboration.
Exploring the establishment of a Karst Ecosystem Centre of Excellence in Indonesia.
Considering the creation of an International Day for Karst Ecosystems to raise global awareness.

Fire salamander larvae hunting a cave amphipod underwater.
Photo: Klaus Bogon

A Foundation Forged by a Global Community

After decades of dedicated effort by members of the VdHK and thousands of speleologists worldwide, we are witnessing a long-sought dream become reality: cave and karst protection has finally arrived on the global stage. The serious consideration of the Indonesian Draft Resolution at UNEA-7 is itself a monumental step forward. This milestone belongs to the global speleology community, and provides a crucial foundation to build upon for the future of our karst landscapes.

Nairobi Negotiations 2025

Open-ended Committee of Permanent Representatives Dec 1-5

OECPR is an open-ended body where any country can participate. During the meeting, representatives of Member States meet in formal plenary sessions and informal working groups and contact groups to negotiate draft resolutions and decisions for consideration and possible adoption by the UNEA. Usually, the Presidency of the UNEA also conducts informal consultations on the margins of the meeting of the Open-ended Committee of Permanent Representatives to seek consensus on a draft ministerial declaration for consideration at the upcoming session of the Environment Assembly.

Global Major Groups and other Stakeholders Forum
Dec 6-7

As the Forum is also open to organizations that are not accredited by UNEP, it offers an opportunity for both accredited and non-accredited stakeholders to exchange perspectives among themselves and with representatives from the UNEP Secretariat and interested Member States. The primary objective is to foster dialogue and collaboration in addressing significant environmental issues within the framework of the United Nation Environment Assembly agenda.

United Nation Environment Assembly UNEA
Dec 8-12

It is the world’s highest-level decision-making body for matters related to the environment, with a universal membership of all 193 Member States.
It sets the global environmental agenda, provides overarching policy guidance, and defines policy responses to address emerging environmental challenges. It sets the strategic guidance on the future direction of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and fosters partnerships for achieving environmental goals and resource mobilization.

Major Groups and other Stakeholders (MGoS)

UN Environment Programme (UNEP) recognizes the importance of engaging Major Groups and other Stakeholders as partners and appreciates the perspectives they bring to the table, valuable research and advocacy functions they perform and their role in helping foster long-term, broad-based support for UNEP’s mission.

Intergovernmental decisions will have stronger and broader recognition and support by the public if governments take Major Groups and other Stakeholders views into account as early as possible in policy-making and decision-making processes. Major Groups and other Stakeholders also play a direct role in the formation of policy as researchers, think-tanks, and watchdogs, or through advocacy.

UNEP strives to ensure effective, broad and balanced participation of Major Groups and Stakeholders by partnering with the nine Major Groups.

The German Speleological Federation belongs to the Non Governmental Organisations NGO Major Group. List of accredited NGOs