In 1981, a group of senior government officials, expert in environmental
law, developed a long-term, strategic guidance plan for UNEP in the field
of environmental law. It was adopted by the Governing Council of UNEP
in 1982 (Montevideo I). Part of the
mandate accorded, UNEP was to undertake programme activities in regard
to the conclusion of international agreements and the development of international
principles, guidelines and standards. During the 1980s and 1990s, the
Programme and its successor (Montevideo
Programme II) adopted by the Governing Council in 1993) provided the
basis for UNEP's action aiming at progressive development of environmental
law. The content was largely based upon the requirements outlined in Agenda
21 adopted at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
in 1992 (Rio Conference).
UNEP is currently implementing Montevideo
Programme III, the Programme for the first decade of the twenty-first
century. The Governing Council adopted it in February 2001 (GC
21/23). A mid-term review of its implementation was undertaken
in 2004 and the results submitted to the Governing Council at its
twenty-third session in 2005. The Montevideo Programme III includes twenty
components, organized under three major themes:
- Effectiveness of Environmental Law;
- Conservation and Management and
- Relationship with Other Fields.
UNEP has already started working on the development of the fourth Montevideo Programme. For this purpose, an expert meeting was organized in September 2007, followed by a Consultative Meeting of Government Officials and Experts on a Programme for the Development and Periodic Review of Environmental Law (Montevideo Programme), held on 26-30 November in Nairobi. Officials and experts were invited to consider emerging issues identified through the UNEP-led GEO process as well as the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment process, and to answers questions useful to identify the direction for the further implementation of the current Programme (III) and possible components of the next programme.
A report of the meeting is being finalized, containing a summary of main points of discussion, including an indication of the components of the next programme. While most components reflect those already in the Montevideo Programme III, there are some new elements under the part on challenges to environmental law, such as:
- Climate change,
- Poverty,
- Access to drinking water and sanitation,
- Ecosystem protection
- Environmental emergencies and natural disasters,
- New technologies,
- Synergies among MEAs.
These elements only consitute a first draft of the possible content of the next programme. Further discussions will be held at an intergovernmental meeting to be held, subject to the availability of extrabudgetary resources for that purpose, late in 2008, for possible adoption of the programme by the Governing Council at its Twenty-fifth regular session at the beginning of 2009. |
