11 January 2018: The Secretariat of the UN Environment Management Group (EMG) will hold a new series of ‘Nexus Dialogues,’ create two new Issue Management Groups and launch a campaign for waste management in the UN, among its activities in 2018. In addition, a biodiversity dialogue is expected to prepare terms of reference for a possible UN system-wide contribution to the post-2020 Biodiversity Framework and implementation of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.

In its newsletter of January 2018, the EMG Secretariat reports that upcoming dialogues will address sustainable consumption and production (SCP), biodiversity, and UN system support for SDG implementation at the national level. The dialogues seek to contribute to a common understanding of the integrated SDGs and targets on selected “nexus” themes.

The first nexus dialogue presented the nexus approach, in April 2017, while the second, held in July 2017, considered the nexus between poverty and environment and the SDGs. The third EMG Nexus Dialogue, in October 2017, explored interlinkages and partnerships between the environmental and humanitarian sectors, and the fourth took place in December 2017, alongside the third meeting of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA 3), and examined linkages between pollution and health.

IMGs are being created in the areas of environment-humanitarian linkages, and law for environmental sustainability.

Following the third nexus dialogue on environmental-humanitarian linkages, the EMG Senior Officials requested the preparation of terms of reference for an Issue Management Group (IMG) on strengthening the integration of environment into humanitarian action. The TOR are currently being prepared. An IMG is also being initiated in the area of law for environmental sustainability, which will be the topic of another Nexus Dialogue in 2018.

The EMG also will launch a waste management campaign dubbed ‘Say yes to less,’ to raise awareness of waste reduction and management among UN staff. In September 2018, the EMG Senior Officials Meeting will take place to address collective ways to enhance implementation of the 2030 Agenda in the area of environment.

The EMG is a UN system-wide coordination body on environment and human settlements. It was established in 2001 pursuant to a UN General Assembly resolution, supporting a proposal of the UN Secretary-General. Its members include the secretariats of the multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) and other specialized agencies, programmes and organs of the UN. The group is chaired by the Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme and supported by a secretariat provided by UNEP, located in Geneva, Switzerland. The EMG works through technical meetings, Issue Management Groups and task forces. Representatives of intergovernmental bodies, civil society and international non-governmental organizations can be invited to contribute. [EMG Highlights] [EMG Webpage] [EMG Guest Article on Nexus Dialogue Series] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on Nexus Dialogues, August 2017]