Remarks by the UN Resident Coordinator in Tanzania, Ms. Susan Ngongi Namondo | World Environment Day (WED) 2025 | Dodoma | 5th June, 2025

Your Excellency, Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania,
Honourable Ministers,
Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Distinguished Guests, Development Partners,
Fellow UN colleagues,
Members of the press,

Good morning.

It is a great honour to join you here in Dodoma for the national commemoration of World Environment Day 2025, as we unite with communities and countries across the globe to reaffirm our collective duty to protect the planet.

This year, the international commemoration is being hosted in Jeju, South Korea, under the theme ‘Ending Plastic Pollution’. This global theme is both timely and urgent.
As UN Secretary-General António Guterres reminded us in his World Environment Day message for this year:

“Plastic pollution is choking our planet—harming ecosystems, well-being, and the climate. It clogs rivers, pollutes oceans, endangers wildlife, and infiltrates every corner of the Earth—from Mount Everest to the depths of the sea, from human brains to breastmilk.” 

Yet, amid this crisis, we are witnessing a growing movement for change—a rising tide of public engagement, accountability, innovation, and policy reform. This year offers a critical opportunity for global action. In just two months, countries will resume negotiations on a new legally binding global treaty to end plastic pollution.

The Secretary-General has called for an ambitious, credible, and just agreement—one that addresses the full life-cycle of plastic, supports circular economies, and meets the needs of all communities. That treaty must be implemented quickly and in full.

This year’s World Environment Day also coincides with global preparations for the Third United Nations Ocean Conference, to be co-hosted by France and Costa Rica in June 2025. The Conference will bring renewed momentum to protecting marine biodiversity and accelerating progress on SDG 14: Life Below Water. Tanzania, as a coastal nation, has a vital stake in these global efforts—and your continued leadership and engagement in this space will be essential.

The national theme of today’s commemoration, "Komesha Uchafuzi wa Mazingira unaochangiwa na Taka za Plastiki", clearly aligns with the international call to action. Tanzania has already taken bold steps to reduce single-use plastics, and today we celebrate another important milestone with the launch of the Integrated Environmental Management Information System by Her Excellency, President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan.

This new system will help to strengthen environmental monitoring, policy enforcement, and evidence-based decision-making—tools that are essential to winning the fight against plastic pollution.

Your Excellency,

The United Nations in Tanzania, is proud to partner with the Government and all stakeholders to support the country’s environmental ambitions and its commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through our cooperation framework—the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2022–2027—we have been collaborating closely with the Government, in both mainland and Zanzibar, on natural resource management, including marine and terrestrial ecosystems, responsible production and consumption, clean energy, and disaster risk reduction.

For instance, in Zanzibar, we are also supporting Government efforts to unlock the full potential of the blue economy. Leveraging our strong presence across UN organisations on the ground, we are working hand-in-hand with the Government and communities to create the foundations for more sustainable and inclusive growth. Through capacity development, policy reform, and innovation, we are helping to lay the groundwork for long-term systems change.

This includes supporting the development of regulatory frameworks and digital tools for effective governance of the blue economy, strengthening disaster risk preparedness, and promoting climate-resilient, gender-responsive strategies. For example, we have helped establish a digital dashboard for performance tracking in blue economy governance, trained local officials in climate adaptation, and supported eco-friendly income-generating activities such as beekeeping and biogas.

Importantly, we are also helping to catalyse new financing mechanisms—such as blue and green bonds and Sharia-compliant “sukuk” instruments—that can mobilise sustainable investment in environmental and ocean-related sectors. Similar efforts are underway on the mainland, where the UN supported the Tanga Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Authority in issuing East Africa’s first subnational green bond. This landmark initiative mobilised over TZS 53 billion to enhance water infrastructure and environmental conservation, demonstrating the potential of innovative financing to drive sustainable development.

In support of Tanzania’s National Clean Cooking Strategy, the UN is actively contributing to cleaner, greener energy solutions. A major initiative involving multiple UN organisations is currently underway is improving access to clean cooking technologies across key urban and peri-urban regions. This project, funded by the European Union (EU), is known as ‘The CookFund’ Programme and is addressing affordability barriers, strengthening market systems, and leveraging finance to scale clean cooking options, these efforts help reduce deforestation, improve health, and empower women and girls. Complementing these solutions, we recently supported the launching of a national awareness campaign was recently launched to promote behavioural change, underscoring the health, social, and environmental benefits of modern cooking technologies.

The UN is also engaged in a wide range of initiatives aimed at strengthening climate resilience, conserving biodiversity, and advancing nature-positive solutions. This includes support for protecting forest ecosystems, enhancing early warning and climate observation systems, and improving flood preparedness and recovery in vulnerable districts. Programmes are also helping to end plastic pollution, promote net-zero development, and advance sustainable conservation financing. These efforts align closely with Tanzania’s environmental priorities and the global theme of World Environment Day 2025—contributing to a healthier, more resilient planet for all.

Together, these efforts reflect our collective commitment to protecting Tanzania’s environmental, while ensuring that local communities—especially women and youth—are empowered to drive change and sustainably benefit from the blue economy’s opportunities. We all know that environmental issues disproportionately affect women, youth, and persons with disabilities. This is a factor we consider across all our programming at the United Nations, to ensure that those who have been left furthest behind are not only reached but actively included in shaping solutions.

Excellencies, partners,

Plastic pollution is more than an environmental issue. It is a public health challenge, a climate challenge, and a threat to sustainable development. But we must go further, faster. We need coordinated action, innovation, inclusive policies, and above all, collective responsibility.

Today, we are called to reaffirm our commitment to ending plastic pollution.
I wish to commend the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania for its leadership and commitment to environmental sustainability. As the global community works toward a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution, I encourage continued engagement and support for this process—with ambition, unity, and the spirit of partnership that Tanzania is well known for. Let us also scale up local action with urgency and purpose. And let us make Tanzania a model for how countries can live in harmony with nature, while growing sustainably and equitably.

On behalf of the United Nations family and the Development Partners Group, I thank the Government of Tanzania for its leadership and vision.

Together, let us end the scourge of plastic pollution and build a greener, healthier, and more just future for all.

Tukomeshe kwa vitendo uchafuzi wa mazingira unaotokana na taka za plastiki – kwa ajili ya Tanzania, Afrika, na dunia yetu.

Asanteni sana.