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Environmental Governance Regimes

UN General Assembly Upgrades UNEP to Universal Membership Following Rio+20 Summit

2013

On 21 December 2012, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), at its 67th Session, adopted the Resolution 67/213 on the “Report of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme on its twelfth special session and on the implementation of section IV.C, entitled “Environmental pillar in the context of sustainable development”, of the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development”. This landmark resolution effectively contributes to the enhancement of the international environmental governance within the context of the institutional framework for sustainable development promoting a balanced integration of the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development as well as coordination within the UN system.

Following commitments by world leaders at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) last June to improve the institutional framework for sustainable development, this robust resolution marks the first major structural change to UNEP in its four-decade history as it allows full participation of all 193 UN member states at the UNEP Governing Council in February 2013.* The establishment of UNEP’s universal membership basically aims at increasing the agency’s role as the leading environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda by providing stronger political legitimacy to its decision-making processes. Furthermore, the resolution provides for UNEP to receive secure, stable and increased financial resources from the regular budget of the UN and calls for increasing voluntary contributions to fulfil its mandate. In the words of United Nations Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner: “The decision by the General Assembly to strengthen and upgrade UNEP is a watershed moment. Universal membership of UNEP’s Governing Council establishes a new, fully-representative platform to strengthen the environmental dimension of sustainable development, and provides all governments with an equal voice on the decisions and action needed to support the global environment, and ensure a fairer share of the world’s resources for all.”

Recognizing that political-science interface is a critical force in shaping sustainable environmental governance, the General Assembly resolution tasked UNEP with further strengthening the vital link between policy-makers and the scientific community. In addition, the resolution reflects the belief that the dissemination of science-based environmental assessments such as the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) series is a considerable factor that would lead to a strengthened and upgraded UNEP. Providing capacity building to countries and facilitating access to technology is considered as an equally decisive step towards the enhancement of UNEP’s role in a more effective governance system of sustainable development.

Besides, the resolution encourages the active engagement of the relative stakeholders (non-governmental organizations, youth, women, indigenous peoples, local governments, business, and other interest groups) in UNEP’s Governing Council and in global environmental decision-making to boost democratization in international environmental governance.

In a separate Resolution – Resolution 67/203 on the “Implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21 and the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development and of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development” – the General Assembly welcomed the adoption of the ten-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production patterns (10YFP), to which UNEP provides the Secretariat. UNEP is also tasked with establishing a trust fund for sustainable consumption and production programmes.

Fostering democracy, transparency and accountability in decision-making processes is a key for a strengthened and upgraded UNEP that effectively leads the sustainable environmental governance. Now it remains to be seen how the Member States will implement the provisions of the General Assembly resolution at the first meeting of the newly-enlarged Governing Council at UNEP headquarters in Nairobi on 18-22 February 2013. The meeting will be held under the theme ‘Rio+20: From Outcome to Implementation’.

Note

* So far the UNEP Governing Council has been an intergovernmental body composed of 58 state representatives elected by the UNGA on the base of geographical allocation. In addition, previous efforts to ensure wider representation in the running of UNEP resulted in the creation of the Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GMEF), which brought together the world’s environment ministers for high-level meetings in parallel with the Governing Council.

Sources: UNEP
For further information:
http://www.unep.org/newscentre/default.aspx?DocumentID=2700&ArticleID=9363&l=en
http://www.unep.org/rio20/Portals/24180/Docs/GA.RES.67.213.UNEP.pdf
http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/67/437/Add.1%20&Lang=E
http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N11/476/10/PDF/N1147610.pdf?OpenElement

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MEPIELAN Centre
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MEPIELAN Centre is an international research, training and educational centre established by Professor Evangelos Raftopoulos at the Panteion University of Athens in 2008.

Before its establishment as a University Centre, MEPIELAN operated as a successful international research, training and informational programme (2002-2007) under the scientific direction of Professor Evangelos Raftopoulos and the aegis of the Panteion University of Athens, supported by the Mediterranean Action Plan/UNEP and the Greek Ministry of the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works.

MEPIELAN Centre is an accredited UNEP/MAP PARTNER (since 2013), a Member of the Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development (MCSD) (since 2016), and a Member of the Steering Committee of the MCSD (since 2019).

On 22 May 2022, MEPIELAN Centre proceeded to the development of MEPIELAN as a Non- Profit Civil Organization (INGO) for the more effective and efficient advancement of its Goals and Missions and furtherance of its activities. MEPIELAN Centre as a Non- Profit Civil Organization (INGO) is registered in Greek Law (Hellenic Business Registry, Reg. No. 16477300100) in accordance with Laws 4072/2012 & 4919/2022 as applicable

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