The 18th Senior Officials Meeting of the UN Environment Management Group (EMG), hosted by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), met by video-audio conference, on 26-27 November 2012.
The meeting agreed on ways to support implementation of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) Outcome Document, and to contribute to the post-2015 development agenda.
16 January 2013: The 18th Senior Officials Meeting of the UN Environment Management Group (EMG), hosted by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), met by video-audio conference, on 26-27 November 2012. The meeting agreed on ways to support implementation of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) Outcome Document, and to contribute to the post-2015 development agenda.
The meeting comprised a technical segment, which included discussion on actions related to issue management groups (IMGs), and a senior officials segment, during which participants approved the suggested actions and provided strategic directions for the EMG in the follow-up to Rio+20.
On the strategic approach of the EMG to supporting implementation of the Outcome Document, the Group noted the Rio+20 request for the UN System to fully mainstream sustainable development in its work and operation. In response, the EMG stressed that the Framework on Environmental and Social Sustainability should be finalized and proposed to the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) for follow-up and implementation. The EMG also underlined the need for linking the work of the EMG and CEB, including the UN Development Group (UNDG).
On contributions to the post-2015 development agenda, the EMG agreed that a small drafting group would develop a framing paper, articulating how the EMG, including its IMGs on land and biodiversity, could contribute by providing its perspectives on key environmental priorities for the post-2015 development agenda. According to the agreement, the IMG on biodiversity will, inter alia, consider the post- 2015 sustainable development process and how biodiversity concerns can be best integrated into the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Group also agreed that the IMG on land would: prepare an Action Plan on the implementation of the EMG report, “Global Drylands, a UN system-wide Contribution,” to be considered by the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP 11) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD); and consider options for the integration of drylands concerns into the SDGs.
The EMG agreed that the IMG on Green Economy would present options to the next EMG meeting on where the coordination of work relating to the “inclusive green economy” should be placed within the UN System. [Publication: Report of the Meeting] [EMG Website]