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UN reform and the environment>>
High-level panel on UN System-wide Coherence in areas of Development, Humanitarian Assistance, Environment
The Outcome Document adopted by global leaders at the 2005 World Summit in New York calls for much stronger system-wide coherence across the various development-related agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations. In addition to supporting current, ongoing reforms at building a more effective, coherent and better-performing UN country presence, it specifically invites the Secretary-General to "launch work to further strengthen the management and coordination of United Nations operational activities." The Outcome Document calls for such work to be focused on ensuring the UN maximizes its contribution to achieving internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, including proposals for "more tightly managed entities" in the field of the environment, humanitarian assistance and development.
The Secretary-General commissioned a small panel, supported by Mr. Adnan Amin (UNEP) as Executive Director and appropriate research and analytical capacity from inside and outside the UN system, to develop concrete and comprehensive analysis and recommendations in this regard.
In the field of Environmental Activities two separate issues need to be addressed. First in the normative area, is a full assessment of how the United Nations can best provide more comprehensive and coherent management and monitoring of the growing range of multilateral environmental agreements. This should include the development of stronger scientific and analytic capacity in monitoring, assessing and reporting on critical environmental trends. Second is the need for better integration of the environmental perspective within the broad principle of sustainable development in UN country-level activities and in particular capacity building and technology support undertaken by the entire UN system. The GA may launch its own deliberations on the issue of international environmental governance issues in early 2006 and it would be important to ensure these efforts are complementary.
Consultations
The Outcome Document separately calls for greater coordination between the governing boards of various operational agencies so as to ensure a more coherent policy in assigning mandates and allocating resources throughout the system. In this spirit – and to ensure wide acceptance and subsequent implementation of the findings – it will be essential for the panel to consult widely with all stakeholders, including the management and Governing Boards of relevant agencies, funds and programmes, prior to submission of their final report to the Secretary-General.
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The Panel’s first consultation took place May 4-5 in Nairobi, Kenya, where issues regarding the Environment were discussed. On day 1 of the meeting, Panel members participated in the consultations held by the President of the General Assembly as part of the inter-governmental review process of the UN’s environment architecture. On day 2, Panel members met with key actors in the field of environment to enhance their common understanding of (a) the key environmental challenges that the UN system will have to effectively address, (b) the institutional framework within which environment is dealt with by the UN system, (c) the major challenges to mainstreaming environment into development decision-making and best practices, and (d) the type of recommendations that could be put forward in this area.
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On Sunday July 2, the High-Level Panel held a day-long consultation with over 50 civil society representatives from around the world, mostly from Europe1, in Geneva, Switzerland. The consultations focused on the cross-cutting themes including gender equality, human rights and sustainable development/environment. A report provides a summary of the civil society statements and interventions regarding Topic I: Improving UN System-wide Coherence: Opportunities and Challenges and Topic II: Sustainable Development: Mainstreaming, Normative to Operational Linkages and Institutional Issues. The report also includes a brief overview of the consultations on Topic III: Gender Equality: Mainstreaming and Institutional Architecture, as provided by the Women’s Environment and Development Organisation.
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General Assembly: Informal Consultations on International Environmental Governance
The World Summit 2005 identified a number of issues that need to be addressed for the implementation of more efficient environmental activities in the United Nations system, including: enhanced coordination; improved policy advice and guidance; strengthened scientific knowledge, assessment and cooperation; better treaty compliance, while respecting the legal autonomy of the treaties; and better integration of environmental activities in the broader sustainable development framework at the operational level, including through capacity-building. Based on these issues, the Summit agreed to “explore the possibility of a more coherent institutional framework to address this need, including a more integrated structure, building on existing institutions and internationally agreed instruments, as well as the treaty bodies and the specialised agencies.” As part of the follow-up to the Summit Outcome Document, Ambassador's Enrique Berruga of Mexico and Peter Maurer of Switzerland were appointed to co-chair informal consultations of the General Assembly on international environmental governance.
On 20 March 2006, the co-chairs wrote to Member States outlining the substance and timing of the informals, identifying questions to be addressed by Member States in the first rounds of informal consultations, which took place on 19 and 25 April 2006. The Co-Chairs requested that delegations respond to two questions:
What are the major problems and challenges of the UN system in its environmental work, specifically with regard to the needs identified in paragraph 169 of the Outcome Document, including:
- enhanced coordination;
- improved policy advice and guidance;
- strengthened scientific knowledge, assessment and cooperation;
- better treaty compliance, while respecting the legal autonomy of the treaties; and
- better integration of environmental activities in the broader sustainable development framework at the operational level, including through capacity-building.
What could be envisaged in terms of a more coherent institutional framework aimed at addressing these major problems and challenges?
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