25 February 2013: The 27th session of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GC27/GMEF) convened in Nairobi, Kenya, from 18-22 February 2013. This was the first Universal Session of the GC following the decision of the UN General Assembly to strengthen and upgrade UNEP, as called for in the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20 or UNCSD) outcome document.

During the session, delegates adopted 13 decisions, on inter alia: institutional arrangements; the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES); coordination across the UN system, including the Environment Management Group (EMG); oceans; sustainable consumption and production; the green economy in the context of sustainable development; advancing justice, governance and law; international water quality guidelines for ecosystems; state of the environment; and chemicals and wastes.

On IPBES, the GC authorizes the Executive Director to provide Secretariat and administrative arrangements, including the secondment of a professional officer to the Platform Secretariat. The decision also allows the Executive Director to finalize a host country agreement with the Government of Germany for the presence of the IPBES Secretariat in Bonn.

On international water quality guidelines for ecosystems, the GC requests the Executive Director to develop international water quality guidelines for ecosystems that may be voluntarily used to support the development of national standards, policies and frameworks with financial and technical support from governments; and to report to GC28 on the implementation of this decision.

In addition, in decision UNEP/GC.27/CW/L.2/Add.1, the GC asks the EMG to support the drylands agenda by, inter alia, the preparation of a UN system-wide action plan on drylands for the period of 2012-2018, as requested by the UNCCD. The GC mandates the Executive Director to, inter alia, develop system-wide strategies on the environment with active involvement of the UN Secretary-General and the Chief Executives Board for broad ownership, and report to the GC on the EMG’s work at its 13th special session. [IISD RS Meeting Coverage] [GC27/GMEF Meeting Website]