October 2012: In his capacity as Chair of the UN Environment Management Group (EMG), UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Achim Steiner has released a document titled “Strategic Directions for EMG: Contribution to the Implementation of the Outcome Document of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD or Rio+20),” in advance of the EMG’s Senior Officials meeting scheduled to convene on 1 November 2012.

The four-page Note by the Chair highlights the Implementation Matrix issued by the UN Secretary-General regarding Rio+20 outcomes, which includes responsibilities for the EMG. The Note discusses: how EMG’s ongoing work should be furthered so as to contribute to the multilateral environment agreements (MEAs) and the implementation of the Rio+20 Outcome Document; how EMG’s work on the framework for social and environmental sustainability (including on environmental sustainability in management) can contribute to the implementation of the Rio+20 Outcome Document; and how EMG can contribute to post-Rio+20 processes, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

On the latter point, the Chair suggests that the Senior Officials may want to consider a technical contribution by the EMG on the UN system-wide perspectives on the environmental dimension of the post-2015 development agenda.

The Chair also suggests that the EMG Senior Officials may want to discuss how the work of the EMG can better contribute and be linked to the agenda of the UN Chief Executives Board (CEB) and its subsidiary bodies, particularly in view of the Rio+20 follow up.

The EMG is a system-wide coordination body that consists of UN specialized agencies, programmes and organs, including the secretariats of the MEAs. [Strategic Directions for the EMG] [EMG Website]