7 December 2012: The UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) Second Committee (Economic and Financial) has approved draft resolution A/C.2/67/L.44 on the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The text addresses the report of the UNEP Governing Council’s 12th special session, as well as the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) outcome on the environmental pillar.

The Rio+20 outcome included a decision on strengthening and upgrading UNEP. The draft UNGA resolution decides to strengthen and upgrade UNEP according to sub-paragraphs (a) to (h) of paragraph 88 in the “Future We Want” outcome document. Reiterating the importance of Nairobi, Kenya as the location of UNEP Headquarters, the draft calls for a UN Secretary-General review of the resource needs of the UN Office in Nairobi. The draft mandates universal membership in the Governing Council of UNEP, and sets the date of its first universal session for February 2013. It requests that the UNEP Executive Director provide support for developing countries’ full participation in this Governing Council meeting.

Regarding the decision for stable and increased funding for UNEP, the draft requests that the Secretary-General reflect the upgraded nature of the Programme, in line with the “Future We Want” paragraph 88 (b), in the 2014-2015 biennium budget proposal. It also calls on donors to increase voluntary funds to UNEP and the Environment Fund.

The orally announced Programme Budget Implications (PBI) proposed a total amount of US$34,734,300 to implement the strengthening of UNEP. [Draft Resolutions in Second Committee] [UN Summary of Meeting]