15 February 2002: The Seventh Special Session of the United Nations Environment Programme’s Governing Council and Third Global Ministerial Environment Forum (UNEP GCSS 7/GMEF 3) took place at the Cartagena de Indias Conference Center in Cartagena, Colombia, from 13-15 February 2002.

The Session was preceded by the final, one-day meeting of the Intergovernmental Group of Ministers or Their Representatives (IGM) on International Environmental Governance (IEG), which was held at the same venue on 12 February 2002. The GCSS-7/GMEF-3 and the IGM were attended by approximately 450 delegates, including over 90 ministers and other representatives of governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as UN bodies, agencies and organizations.

The objectives of the GCSS-7/GMEF-3 were to review UNEP’s implementation of decisions taken by the 21st session of the Governing Council/Second GMEF (GC-21/GMEF-2), and to consider recent developments in relation to UNEP’s preparations for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), including on international environmental governance.

The IGM failed to reach agreement on a number of critical issues, in particular on strategies to ensure predictable and stable funding for UNEP and according universal membership to the UNEP GMEF. However, these issues were resolved during the GCSS-7/GMEF-3, at which delegates adopted the IGM report on IEG and agreed to transmit it to the third session of the WSSD Preparatory Committee (PrepCom III). Delegates also agreed to take note of a statement by the President of the Governing Council on UNEP’s contribution to the WSSD, and to transmit it to PrepCom III, together with the report and policy statement prepared for the GCSS-7/GMEF-3 by UNEP’s Executive Director.

Regarding the review of implementation of decisions of GC-21/GMEF-2, the Council adopted five decisions on: a strategic approach to chemicals management at the global level; compliance with and enforcement of multilateral environmental agreements; development of a strategy for the active engagement of civil society, the private sector and Major Groups in the work of UNEP; implementation of the Global Programme of Action (GPA) for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities; and the environmental situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The Earth Negotiations Bulletin report outlining these discussions in detail can be found at: http://enb.iisd.org/linkages/unepgc/gmef3/