Today's challenges require the United Nations to be more than just an intergovernmental forum; it must engage others too (Cardoso report, 2004).
The views, expertise and action of major group organizations are simply fundamental in any environment and sustainable development strategy. At international, national or local levels they play a critical role in changing the world’s reality and improving the environment and people’s lives. CSOs views are essential in international environmental policy forums. They bring into policy making daily life matters and the perspectives of people working on the ground, such as farmers, the scientific and technological community, indigenous peoples and their communities, workers and trade unions, business and industry, non-governmental organizations, women, and youth. In this context, a renewed and strengthened cooperation between UNEP and civil society organizations at the governance level is needed. To address environmental concerns in an adequate manner, the participation of major group organizations is required, especially in the intergovernmental decision-making process, during which UNEP develops its operational policies and work programme.
Advantages of becoming accredited to UNEP
In the process leading up to sessions
of the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum the
accredited major group organizations have the possibility:
To receive unedited working documents of the UNEP Governing Council/Global
Ministerial Environment Forum at the same time as the Committee
of the Permanent Representatives
To submit to the UNEP Secretariat written
contributions to these unedited working documents of the Governing
Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum, for distribution to the
Governments;
During
the session of the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment
Forum, accredited major group organizations have the opportunity:
To attend the plenary, the Committee of the Whole and the Ministerial
Consultations discussions as observers;
To
circulate written statements to Governments through the UNEP secretariat;
To make oral statements during the discussions of the Governing Council/Global
Ministerial Environment Forum at the invitation of the chairperson.
For
information on specific modalities to submit written inputs, please click
here.
Additional Information
The views, expertise and action of major group organizations are simply fundamental in any environment and sustainable development strategy. At international, national or local levels they play a critical role in changing the world’s reality and improving the environment and people’s lives. CSOs views are essential in international environmental policy forums. They bring into policy making daily life matters and the perspectives of people working on the ground, such as farmers, the scientific and technological community, indigenous peoples and their communities, workers and trade unions, business and industry, non-governmental organizations, women, and youth. In this context, a renewed and strengthened cooperation between UNEP and civil society organizations at the governance level is needed. To address environmental concerns in an adequate manner, the participation of major group organizations is required, especially in the intergovernmental decision-making process, during which UNEP develops its operational policies and work programme. 
Printable
Version