16 February 2012: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Major Groups and Stakeholders Branch is coordinating a publication series titled “Perspectives,” to contribute to the dialogue on environment and sustainable development. The series aims to ensure that civil society voices are heard in discussions on these issues. The series will include discussion papers, opinion pieces, and reports on topics related to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) and its follow up.

UNEP plans to publish and distribute up to 10 publications within the series in 2012, and at least six in 2013. So far, two issues have been released: “Improving Public Participation in Environmental Governance,” by Jacob Werksman and Joseph Foti; and “Models for Local Government Organisations involvement in a strengthened UNEP,” by Susanne Salz, ICLEI.

The discussion paper on improving public participation focuses on international environmental governance reforms, stressing that reforms should to lead to new opportunities for civil society to perform four key roles in environmental decision making, to observe, inform, shape policy, and engage.

The discussion paper on models for local government organizations (LGOs) makes concrete proposals on involving LGOs in a strengthened UNEP, such as treating LGOs as governmental stakeholders and therefore separately from other stakeholder groups, such as business and civil society, in negotiations.

In the coming months, the publication series will address: green economy and farmers; green economy and Indigenous Peoples; green economy and workers and trade unions; expectations from a green economy by developing countries; perspective from business and industry on international environmental governance and an institutional framework for sustainable development (IFSD); peoples’ sustainability treaties – global convention for Principle 10; and the ombudsman for future generations. UNEP also welcomes proposals for additional publications. [UNEP Perspectives Publication Series]