The intergovernmental consultation on strengthening the scientific base of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was held at UNEP headquarters at the Gigiri complex in Nairobi, Kenya, from 14-15 January 2004.

The two-day meeting was part of UNEP’s implementation of decisions taken at the 22nd meeting of its Governing Council (GC) held in Nairobi from 3-7 February 2003, in particular, decision 22/1/IA on strengthening the scientific base of UNEP, which requests the Executive Director to facilitate an intergovernmental consultation in preparation for the eighth Special Session of the UNEP Governing Council (GCSS-8)/fifth Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GMEF-5) in March 2004. Over 195 participants representing governments, UN agencies and bodies, intergovernmental organizations, and non-governmental organization were in attendance.
During the meeting, participants met in Plenary to discuss three questions posed in decision 22/1/IA, namely: What are the likely gaps and types of assessment needs with respect to the environment and environmental change?; How are UNEP and other organizations currently meeting those assessment needs?; and What options exist with respect to meeting any unfulfilled needs that fall within the role and mandate of UNEP?
The meeting also considered cross-cutting issues relating to: scientific credibility, salience, legitimacy and relevance in the assessment processes; interaction between science and policy development; the role of existing institutions; possible options including strengthening existing institutions and mechanisms and the establishment of an intergovernmental panel on global environmental change; links and sectoral integration; duplication, cooperation, complementarity and added value to the work of other assessment processes, international agencies and multilateral environmental agreements; cost-effectiveness and efficiency; and developing country participation and capacity building. The IGC adopted conclusions and recommendations that will be used by UNEP’s Executive Director in preparing his report to GCSS-8 on strengthening the scientific base of UNEP. The ENB summary report of this meeting is available at: http://enb.iisd.org/unepgc/igc/