10 August 2015: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has circulated a Stakeholder Engagement Handbook, which was developed in association with the UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS). The Handbook presents the current rules and practices for the engagement of Major Groups and Stakeholders (MGS) in UNEP’s work, based on rules of procedure of the UN Environment Assembly of UNEP (UNEA).

In an accompanying message, UNEP advises stakeholders that Member States are currently negotiating a new UNEP Policy on Stakeholder Engagement, which will likely be in place by the second session of UNEA (UNEA-2), in May 2016. The handbook will be amended after UNEA-2 takes a decision on the matter.

The handbook is a primer on the UNEA and its subsidiary organs, and describes procedures for accreditation of MGS, their participation in agenda-setting and decision-making processes, access to information, funding and code of conduct.

UNEP notes that the outcome of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) expressed Member States’ commitment to strengthening UNEP’s role as the leading global environmental authority (paragraph 88), and pledged to ensure the active participation of all relevant stakeholders (paragraph 88.h).

At UNEA-1 in June 2014, Member States discussed but did not resolve policy issues related to accreditation of MGS and access to information. [Publication: Stakeholder Engagement Handbook] [UNEA Website] [IISD RS Coverage of UNEA-1]