UNEP's Regional Office for North America (RONAcomprises Canada and the United States of America, -- 2 of the largest countries in the world. The region is home to many outstanding environmental, academic, and scientific institutions. The economy has global reach and its commercial sector is creative, vibrant and open to experimenting with new ways of doing business.
RONA’s mission is to promote effective responses to international environmental challenges, and to foster cooperation on environmental issues between North America and the broader international community.
To achieve this mission, RONA’s strategy is to promote collaboration between UNEP and all sectors of North American society, including U.S. and Canadian governmental institutions, the private sector, and civil society groups. The main elements of the strategy are:
Promoting inter-linkages at the political level, by informing UNEP Headquarters about relevant environmental developments in North America and advising on the appropriate strategy thereto;
Keeping governments of the region informed of and engaged in UNEP’s work;
Developing new North American partnerships and adding North American contributors to existing UNEP partnerships, thereby engaging the technological, intellectual and financial resources of the region to serve UNEP’s important work around world;
Facilitating contacts with the private sector in order to increase participation by North American institutions in UNEP’s industry-specific initiatives and programmes
Mobilizing the dynamic North American-based NGO sector to encourage them to take a more active role in UNEP’s policy processes and overall activities;
Enhancing the profile of UNEP in North America through outreach, including:
fostering the active participation of the region in various UNEP-sponsored global events
organizing targeted awareness-raising campaigns and Press Conferences for the general public.
