The UN has proclaimed 30 March as International Day of Zero Waste to be observed annually.
- The UN General Assembly, at its 77th session, adopted the resolution on 14 December.
The Highlights: The UN Secretary-General has been requested to set up an advisory board of eminent persons, based on voluntary contributions, selected on the basis of their knowledge, experience and expertise in consultation with Member States, for a period of three years.
- The objective of this Board would be to promote local and national zero-waste initiatives through the dissemination of best practices and success stories based on the work of existing regional and global platforms, the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
- The resolution has recommended the continuation of the discussion on zero-waste initiatives within the relevant United Nations entities, on the basis of verified data on sustainable and environmentally sound waste management, within their work on sustainable consumption and production.
- It urged Member States, organizations of the United Nations system and other international and regional organisations to implement zero-waste initiatives at all levels.
- The resolution requested the UN Secretary-General to invite the United Nations Environment Programme to include in the next iteration of the Global Waste Management Outlook, a dedicated section on zero-waste initiatives.
- It requested the President of the General Assembly to convene a one-day high-level meeting, in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme and UN-Habitat, in New York, in 2023, to promote sustainable consumption and production patterns, including innovative projects and programmes.
Acnowledging Success Stories: The resolution acknowledged the success stories of Member States in developing and implementing innovative solid waste management solutions and technologies and engaging local communities, including innovative projects and programmes such as local and national zero-waste initiatives to foster the environmentally sound management of waste, in particular the minimisation and, where feasible, prevention of waste.
- It also recognised that local and national zero-waste initiatives can contribute to achieving sustainable consumption and production.
