Envisioning the Next Steps for MEA Compliance and Enforcement

2nd High Level Meeting
Geneva (Switzerland) from 31 May - 2 June 2006

Over the past several decades, the international community has established a range of legally binding conventions designed to tackle the world’s most serious environmental challenges. Each of these treaties focuses on a specific problem, be it hazardous waste, trade in endangered species, climate change or some other pressing concerns at the time the agreement was developed. Despite their varying themes, these conventions also have a great deal in common: they all promote sustainable development and they all use similar principles, processes and policy tools to achieve their goals. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has been mandated by its Governing Council to address these common features as a way of strengthening and facilitating effective implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs).

UNEP is working closely with MEA Secretariats and the Parties to MEAs to identify synergies and interlinkages that offer opportunities for collaboration at both the national and international level. The ultimate aim is to bolster the efficiency and the effectiveness of the UN’s portfolio of environmental treaties and to ensure that they are mutually supportive in areas where cooperation can provide real benefits.

As part of this effort, UNEP organized in January 2006 a High-Level Meeting on envisioning the next steps for compliance with and enforcement of MEAs (1st High Level Meeting). Representatives from MEA Secretariats, governments and civil society gathered in their personal capacities to discuss the technical aspects of compliance and enforcement and to search for potential legal, structural and institutional innovations that could enhance implementation of MEAs. Based on its two days of deliberations, the High-Level Meeting developed and agreed on a Chair’s Summary, which identified key challenges to the effective implementation, compliance with and enforcement of MEAs that would benefit from a process of further consideration and action, including through capacity building and the provision of resources by UNEP and its partners.

Leading the process that was started in Colombo to a successful end is particularly important to UNEP, MEA Secretariats, Parties to MEAs and all other stakeholders, as well as for the overall effectiveness of MEAs in reducing environmental degradation and preserving our environment. Therefore, this 2nd High-Level Meeting will focus specifically on the selected issues from the Outcome Document of the 1st High-Level Meeting and sets out to effectively steer the Colombo-Process towards concrete action for the future.

The 2nd High-Level Meeting, which coincides with the commemoration of the World Environment Day 2006, will also be used as a platform to launch the UNEP Manual on Compliance with and Enforcement of MEAs, which will serve as a companion to the 2002 UNEP Guidelines on Compliance and Enforcement of MEAs and as a practical tool for their efficient use by all stakeholders. The Manual and an on-line version which is under preparation is designed to assist countries in implementing multilateral environmental agreements by providing practical examples, descriptive analysis, checklists, and other resources.