UNEP’s Regional Office for Europe possesses a Strategic Plan 2008-2013 that is aligned with the Medium-term Strategic Priorities of UNEP. The Plan highlights a Mission in which advocacy, awareness raising, information exchange, the promotion of inter-governmental dialogue and the transformation thereof into successful European programmes are prominent. Our overarching Goals are to provide an inclusive forum and platform, to substantially underpin the UN in its environmental approaches, to be of service as a coordinator of UNEP activities in Europe and to raise the awareness of environment questions throughout the continent. We share in and build on the Values and Principles of UNEP more generally.
Our Strategic Objectives and focus over the coming 5 years will be in: facilitating the work of various UNEP divisions; engaging other UN partners at the country but also at the regional level ; building productive partnerships throughout the region at varying levels and with multiple bodies; and providing targeted advocacy and capacity building, especially in the less developed parts of the region.
The Activities that will allow us to achieve these objectives will be increasingly results and performance oriented, less piecemeal and project based than in the past, with a view to ROE offering quality and integrated approaches to an internal and external clientele. The areas of focus will be climate change, ecosystem management, transboundary environmental issues, hazardous substances, the interface of peace and environment security, resource efficiency and sustainable consumption and production.
The specific Functions of ROE are as follows:
To represent the UNEP ED in each European country.
To contribute to the development of UNEP’s global policies in line with the priorities expressed at regional and sub-regional levels.
To facilitate the policy dialogue in the European region and coordinate related UNEP activities, seeking reflection of UNEP’s global strategies in regional and sub-regional policies and activities.
To coordinate UNEP’s cooperation with regional entities and individual countries and the delivery of UNEP programmes at the regional and sub-regional levels, under the substantive direction of substantive divisions. This includes coordination of UNEP’s involvement in One UN, UNDAF, CCA, and other development cooperation mechanisms.
To support the establishment and strengthening of strategic partnerships: regional entities (EC), Civil Society, UN bodies (including inter-agency liaison in Geneva and Vienna), etc.
To support UNEP’s fund-raising activities.
To publicize UNEP and its work in the region and organize UNEP outreach and events.
To establish, operate, maintain, and update a comprehensive data base on development cooperation and on UNEP activities in the countries.
Further information on ROE and its work may be obtained at http://www.unep.ch
