Recommendations from some recent UN environmental governance reform processes DownloaD Graphic 2
Selected recommendations of the Secretar y-
The International Environmental The 2005 World Summit Outcome General’ s High-level Panel on UN System-wide
Governance (IEG) Initiative (UNEP 2002c) (UN 2005) Coherence (UN 2006)
A Strengthened UNEP through: More efficient UN environmental strengthen and improve IEG coherence by
UNEP and the improved coherence in international activities through: upgrading UNEP with a renewed mandate and
environment in environmental policy making – the role enhanced coordination and improved improved funding; and
the UN and structure of the Governing Council/ policy advice and guidance; and UNEP’s technical and scientific capacity should
Global Ministerial Environment Forum; strengthened scientific knowledge, be strengthened for monitoring, assessing and
strengthening the role and financing of assessment and cooperation. reporting on the state of the global environment.
UNEP; and
strengthening the scientific capacity of
UNEP.
UN system-wide enhanced coordination across the UN stronger system-wide coherence UN Development Policy Operations Group within
coherence system – the role of the Environmental within and between the policy and the Chief Executives Board for Coordination
Management Group. operational activities of the United framework bringing together heads of all UN
Nations, in particular in the areas of organizations working on development;
humanitarian affairs, development and more effective cooperation among UN agencies,
environment; and programmes and funds working in different
agreement to explore the possibility thematic areas of the environment; and
of a more coherent institutional an independent assessment of the current UN
framework. including a more system of IEG should be commissioned.
integrated structure.
MEAs improved coordination among and better treaty compliance, while more efficient and substantive coordination to
effectiveness of multilateral environmental respecting the legal autonomy of the support effective implementation of the major
agreements (MEAs). treaties. MEAs.
Country-level capacity-building, technology transfer better integration of environmental One UN Country Programme to deliver as one
operations and country-level coordination for the activities in the broader sustainable at the country level;
environmental pillar of sustainable development framework at the UNEP to provide substantive leadership and
development. operational level, including through guidance at the country level, including building
capacity building. capacity and mainstreaming environmental costs
and benefits into policy making; and
UN Sustainable Development Board, reporting
to ECOSOC, to oversee the performance of the
One UN at country level.
Collaboration across existing governance regimes can ment to development, provide a critical foundation for
strengthen the integration of environmental concerns adaptive governance.
into the wider development agenda. Significant op-
portunities in this respect are offered by the UN reform Greater integration of policies across levels, sectors
process, due to its particular focus on systems-wide co- and time, strengthening local rights, and building
herence in the area of the environment and the “One capacity will help achieve environmental and human
UN” approach at the country level. well-being goals.
The governance approaches should be flexible, collab-
orative and learning-based. Such approaches may be
responsive, adaptive, and able to cope with the chal-
lenges of integrating environment and development.
They should also be well placed in order to address
complex interlinkages, and to manage uncertainty and
periods of change. Such measures are likely to result in
incremental and cost-effective evolution of institutional
structures and reduce the need for more fundamental
institutional restructuring. Tools for dealing with interlink-
ages, such as assessments, valuation techniques and
integrated management approaches that link environ-
The future success of efforts to control atmospheric emissions will heavily depend on
the involvement of stakeholders at all levels.
Credit: Mark Edwards/Still Pictures
ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE 49