25 September 2014: During the 20th Senior Officials Meeting (SOM20) of the Environment Management Group (EMG), senior management of 38 UN agencies, multilateral agreement bodies and intergovernmental financial institutions focused on coherence in environmental programming, sustainable operations and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The senior officials also undertook important discussions on the Group’s contribution to the preparation of a UN System-Wide Strategy on the Environment.

On the post-2015 development agenda, the meeting touched on how EMG can be most effective in light of the current process. The senior officials agreed to review the draft SDGs, as presented by the Open Working Group on SDGs, to consider their adequacy in the environmental dimension. The screening will seek to identify any gaps, overlaps and potential synergies.

In considering coherence across the UN system, senior officials discussed environmental programming on issues such as biodiversity, green economy, and chemicals and waste. They also examined efforts to promote sustainability of the UN internally, including in policy, programming and system-wide operations. Discussions addressed environmental and social sustainability, enhanced efficiency, climate neutrality and sustainability in management.

The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) hosted the meeting in New York, US on 25 September 2014. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) serves as the secretariat for EMG, and the UNEP Executive Director chairs the Group. [IISD RS Sources] [SOM20 Meeting Webpage] [EMG Website] [IISD RS story on SOM19]