Tehran – September 19, 2024
The ECO Secretariat and the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) held the Consultation Meeting on virtual mode to discuss the advancement of circular transition agenda in the ECO Region.
ECO Secretariat briefed the UNEP about the preparations for the Ministerial Meeting on Circular Economy to be convened tentatively on 16 November 2024 on the margins of the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, as well as developments in promoting the Regional Initiative on Resource Efficiency, Sustainability and Circular Economy in the ECO Region (RESCUE). UNEP representatives highlighted the importance of integrating circular economy principles into various sectors and apprised of the ongoing initiatives in this respect, including UNEP Circularity Platform, which serves as a vital knowledge repository.
The brainstorming particularly focused on the UNEP’s possible engagement in ongoing endeavours of ECO towards uptake and advocacy of circular economy transition in the region and a way forward in this respect. Both sides recognized the importance of leveraging the COP29 platform for enhanced dialogue and collaboration as well as identification of pathways for a just transition to a circular economy.