23 June 2014
Major Groups and Stakeholders Forward Input to First UNEA Meeting
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Ahead of the first session of the UN Environment Assembly of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum (GMGSF) met to facilitate the preparations of Major Groups and Stakeholders towards the first UNEA, allowing them to discuss the main UNEA themes and to prepare their input to UNEA.

UNEA will hold its first session on 23-27 June to discuss ‘Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the post-2015 development agenda, including sustainable consumption and production (SCP).'

unea23 June 2014: Ahead of the first session of the UN Environment Assembly of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum (GMGSF) met to facilitate the preparations of Major Groups and Stakeholders towards the first UNEA, allowing them to discuss the main UNEA themes and to prepare their input to UNEA. UNEA will hold its first session on 23-27 June to discuss ‘Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the post-2015 development agenda, including sustainable consumption and production (SCP).’ The session will also address illegal trade in wildlife and related environmental crime.

The 15th session of the GMGSF took place on 21-22 June 2014, at UNEP Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, and was self-organized by the nine Major Groups and stakeholders through the Major Groups Facilitating Committee. More than 120 participants representing all MGs and regions participated at the discussions. GMGSF 15 participants adopted a common statement for forwarding to UNEA.

Ahead of the meeting, UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said that UNEA, as a subsidiary assembly of the UN General Assembly, breaks new ground in giving environmental issues similar status to that of peace, security, finance, health and trade. He said UNEA is expected to provide leadership on global environmental policy, and to continue to keep the world environment under review, noting that this mandate was first conferred upon UNEP’s Governing Council by the UN General Assembly in 1972 and subsequently enhanced through the Rio+20 outcome.

An estimated 1,200 delegates from governments, civil society, the private sector and academia will take part in the discussions from 23-27 June 2014, at UNEP headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. Ministers and international leaders including UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, UN General Assembly President John Ashe, and around 90 ministers will attend a high-level segment from 26-27 June.

The UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) agreed in June 2012 to strengthen and upgrade UNEP through several measures, including the establishment of universal membership in the Governing Council. At its first universal session in February 2013, the Governing Council agreed to rename itself the ‘UN Environment Assembly of the UNEP’ (UNEA), and to meet biennially. The UN General Assembly formally adopted the new designation later the same year.

More than 40 side events and high-level dialogues will take place during the UNEA meeting, covering, inter alia: climate change, gender and the environment, green jobs, air quality, small island developing States (SIDS) and the sound management of chemicals. [IISD RS Meeting Coverage, GMGSF 15] [UNEA Website] [Working Documents] [Message from UNEP Executive Director] [IISD RS Meeting Coverage, UNEA 1]


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