“Environment for Development” - UNECE Homepage · “Environment for Development” ... Latin America and the Caribbean: ... Business and Industry. 9. Ensure environment protection

“Environment for Development” Partnership, Leadership and Stewardship

United Nations Environment ProgrammeUnited Nations Environment Programme

Presentation by Jaco Tavenier

UNEP/Regional Office for Europe

Wondwosen (Wondy) Asnake Kibret - UNEP + Major Groups

UN Conference on the Human Environment Stockholm,(5-16 June)

General Assembly

Resolution 2997(15 Dec) creates:

In 1972…UNEP: What it is and its mission?

UNEP is the UN’s organization for the environment and the voice for the environment within the UN-system;

UNEP is responsible for providing leadership in the field of environment;

UNEP encourages partnership in caring for the environment and

UNEP inspires, informs and enables people to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

UNEP Secretariat

Gov. Council

Environment Fund


UNEP achieve its Mission? (1/2)

By serving as the authoritative advocate for the environment within the United Nations system;

By being a science base on the environment for policy making;

By promoting coherence within the UN-system between environmental conventions and agencies;

By encouraging the use of economic instruments to make the economic system work for environmental sustainability;


UNEP achieve its Mission? (2/2)

By being a convening power and overseeing the evolution of the next generation of norms and standards to secure the environmental basis for sustainable development;

By being responsive to country needs;

By co-operating, coordinating and partnering with UN agencies, conventions, civil society and the private sector;

By operating as an effective, efficient and results-based organization.


How does UNEP operate?

Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum (58 member countries) –25th Session of the GC/GMEF – Nairobi, 16-20 Feb 2009

decided to launch negotiations on an international mercury treaty to deal with world-wide emissions and discharges of a pollutant that threatens the health of millions .

7 Substantive Divisions:Early Warning and AssessmentEnvironmental Law and ConventionsEnvironmental Policy ImplementationTechnology, Industry and EconomicsRegional CooperationCommunications and Public InformationGlobal Environment Facility (GEF) Coordination

UNEP Secretariat

Gov. Council

Environment Fund


Programme of Work 2010–2011UNEP has identified six cross-cutting subprogramme areas:

1. Climate change;To strengthen the ability of countries, in particular developing countries, to integrate climate change responses into national development processes

2. Disasters and conflicts;To minimize environmental threats to human well-being from the environmental causes and consequences of existing and potential natural and man-made disasters

3. Ecosystem management;To ensure countries utilize the ecosystem approach to enhance human well-being

4. Environmental governance;To ensure environmental governance at the country, regional and global levels is strengthened to address agreedenvironmental priorities


Pogramme of Work 2010–2011

six cross-cutting subprogramme areas:

5. Harmful substances & hazardous waste;To minimize the impact of harmful substances andhazardous waste on the environment and human beings

6. Resource efficiency – sustainable consumption & production.

To ensure natural resources are produced, processed and consumed in a more environmentally sustainable way

Areas in which UNEP:

Define UNEP’s focus on env challenges of 21st CDeliver tangible results guided by scientific evidence;Has a comparative advantage.


UNEP supports:

Centres of Excellence:

UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK

UNEP International Environment Technology Centre, Osaka and Shiga, Japan

UNEP Collaborating Centre on Energy and Environment, Roskilde, Denmark

Environmental Convention Secretariats:

• Ozone Secretariat, Nairobi • Multilateral Fund Secretariat,

Montreal• CITES, Geneva• Convention on Biological

Diversity, Montreal• Convention on Migratory

Species, Bonn• Basel Convention, Geneva• Stockholm Convention, Geneva • Rotterdam Convention, Geneva • Mediterranean Action Plan,

Athens• Caribbean Env. Programme,

Kingston• East Asia Seas Programme /

Bangkok


How is UNEP organised ?

UNEP is not as countrybased but a regional based agencyOne Headquarter and 6 regionaloffices


UNEP around the world:UNEP is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya.

Represented by six regional offices:Africa: Nairobi, KenyaAsia and the Pacific: Bangkok, ThailandEurope: Geneva, SwitzerlandLatin America and the Caribbean: Panama City, PanamaNorth America: Washington DC, USAWest Asia: Manama, Bahrain

Liaison Offices: Addis Ababa (ECA, AU) Brussels (EC and EU institutions) New York (sister UN agencies)

Being based in Africa gives UNEP a first-hand understanding of the environmental issues facing developing countries.


The UN and the Environment

Only concerted and coordinated international action will be sufficient.

The arena for such actions is the United Nations, and the focal point for such action is UNEP.

Governments have called for a more coherent system of int’l env’l governance as part of the UN reform process, and exploring the role and responsibility of UNEP and other UN entities in relation to env’t and dev’t issues.

diagram presents the ‘environmental DNA’of the UN system - area of work.

Addressing today’s environmental challenges is largely beyond the capacity of individual countries.


UNEP can’t do it alone!

Mandate too big too complicated for one organization:provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling Nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

UNEP has been able to establish and strengthen partnerships with a wide and diversified spectrum of other international oranisations & major civil society groups.


The 9 Major Groups as per “Agenda 21”

Major Groups at local, national, sub-regional, regional and international levels:

1. Women2. Youth3. Indigenous Peoples and their communities, 4. NGOs, 5. Local Authorities, 6. Workers and Trade Unions, 7. Business and Industry, 8. The Scientific and Technological Community, and 9. Farmers.


The 9 Major Groups as per Agenda 21

Women:mainstreaming gender perspectives into UN programming (making policies and programmes gender responsive)

Youth empowerment:Creating space and opportunity to participate actively in a range of sustainable development issues.

Indigenous Peoples and their communities:Lifestyles and culture linked to natureWealth of knowledge managing the environment in sustainable ways.

NGOs:nonprofit group that is organized on a local, national, regional or international level. possess well-established and diverse experience, expertise and capacity in the implementation and review of environmentally sound and socially responsible sus dev.

Local Authorities:Local authorities construct, operate and maintain economic, social and environmental infrastructure, oversee planning processes, establish local environmental policies and regulations, and assist in implementing national and sub-national environmental policies.


The 9 Major Groups as per Agenda 21

Workers and Trade UnionsEnlist the active participation and support of workers & trade unions in decisions on the design, implementation and evaluation of national and international policies and programmes on environment and development. Greening the economy, Creating green jobs and changing the process of development, health & Safety

Business and IndustryEnsure environment protection and equitable development concernsintergrated into trade and economy policies.

The Scientific and Technological Community, andNeed for enhanced capacity for scientific assessement, monitoring, and education for sustainable development

FarmersSustainable forms of agriculture etc


How is this done/entry points?

engagements at the policy level where UNEP benefits from the expertise and views of Major Groups at the intergovernmental level; and

at the programmatic level where Major Groups are involved in the implementation of UNEP's work programme.


Why we do it?

engagement at the policy and programmaticlevels critical to:

strengthening the environmental pillar of sustainable development, and fostering action to implement Agenda 21.

to promote better decision-making through wider inputs; integrate diverse viewpoints; develop trust and partnership; and mobilize commitment for implementation of decisions.


Environment sustainability: we need to deal with Contradictions…

Yes, we can >>>>>


Youth Participation

“to treat with care or affection”Represents the 4 elements: Fire, Earth, Water & Air!

A vision to foster a generation of environmentally conscious citizens, capable of positive action.

environmental awareness, information exchange,capacity building,participation in decision-making processes.


Strategy for engagement & involvement of young people in environmental issues

environmental awareness:Network of 10,000 C&Y orgs. 150 countries, various activities and events - C&Y conferences, play/plant 4 Planet, recognition programmes – painting/projects

information exchange:info. Materials:- books, magazine, teacher’s guide, GEO-4-Youth, Taking Action, Info. Folder for Gov’ts/partners/sponsInternet services:- web/chat room/e-dialogue]

capacity building:Giving opportunities - intern, leadership training/ seminars/ workshops, visits to best env. projects/env envoys, env. Reporting]

participation in decision-making processes:Tunza Advisory Council, support and facilitate involvement in UNEP GC, CSO, GEO & how to negotiations/lobbying in Reg/Int’l conferences ministers etc


UNEP and young talents….UNEP is looking for dynamic, creative, forward- looking, dedicated and results-oriented young professionals and students to join a global team of professionals committed to making a difference!Academic background and work experience, ranging from:

environmental engineering to business administrationfinance to information technologylaw to chemistrymarine sciences to international relationshuman resources management to agronomyand many more…..


UNEP and young talents….Young professionals

1. PROFESSIONAL CAREERSMinimum two years of work experience

2. JUNIOR PROFESSIONAL OFFICERS (JPOs)JPOs are financed by their Governments.Applications are submitted to UNEP by the respective Governments.

3. VOLUNTEERSUNEP recruits volunteers through the UNV programme administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

StudentsINTERNSHIPS

UNEP offers students from a wide range of disciplines the opportunity to work on projects that relate either to the UNEP’s strategic activities or to administrative or technical functions.

www.unep.org/vacancies

Thank you!

“Environment for Development” - UNECE Homepage · “Environment for Development” ... Latin America and the Caribbean: ... Business and Industry. 9. Ensure environment protection

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