KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Matthew Samuda, has been elected as the new president of the 193-member United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA).

Minister Samuda is currently leading the Jamaican delegation to the seventh session of the UNEA (UNEA-7) in Nairobi, Kenya. His election was announced Friday morning by Abdullah Bin Ali Al-Amri, the outgoing president of the assembly.

The UNEA, the world’s highest-level decision-making body on environmental issues, brings together all 193 UN member states. It sets the global environmental agenda, provides policy guidance and determines strategies to address emerging environmental challenges. The assembly also reviews policies, fosters partnerships and guides the work of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

In his acceptance speech, Minister Samuda emphasised the importance of collaboration, inclusivity and practical action.

“Environmental stewardship is no longer an isolated agenda item— it is the defining challenge of our century. The decisions we make within the assembly will continue to shape economies, societies and the lives of generations yet unborn,” he said.

He also highlighted that his presidency reflects the collective commitment of the Latin American and Caribbean region, including Jamaica.

“Our voices carry the weight of communities on the frontlines of climate impacts— communities that cannot afford delay and do not have the luxury of indifference,” he added.

Samuda pledged to strengthen the science-policy interface, scale up financing for adaptation and resilience and accelerate the transition to sustainable production and consumption systems, ensuring no country is excluded from solutions.