Perspectives on the strengthening of International Environmental Governance

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Perspectives on the strengthening of
International Environmental Governance 11 June
2007 AMCEN
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Introduction

• International environmental governance is a
  work-in-progress
• We have achieved major successes in
• raising the profile of environmental issues
• mainstreaming and integrating environmental
  concerns in other areas of work
• developing new scientific and policy capacities
• creating new agreements, structures, funds and
  entities
• Yet, there are also signs of a stagnating and
  fragmented global regime for the environment
  sustainable development

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Status quo

• Frustration with lack of progress with Cartagena
  Package
• Role of GC/GMEF
• Bali Strategic Plan S-S
• Strengthening financial base
• Science base
• Coherence cooperation
• Universal membership
• Environmental discussion happening in UNEP, while
  social and economic discussions are happening in
  UNGA
• Sustainable development has 3 pillars economic,
  social environmental

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Status quo

• Challenges
• Environment SD discussions happening in silos
• Lack of a strong political base for IEG SD
• Lack of coherence and coordination between
  different UN bodies and agencies
• Fragmentation of implementation, scientific work
  and policy development
• Capacity building and technical support not
  meeting expectations
• Huge resource gap leading to discrepancies
  between commitments and actions

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Status quo

• Specifically on UNEP
• Absence of global political consensus on, or a
  shared vision for future work under UNEP
• Competing expectations about UNEPs role (e.g.
  balance between normative and operational roles),
  and consequently on the future institutional form
• Different views on whether to strengthen UNEP
  gradually (on a step by step basis) or through a
  quantum leap (new institution)

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UNEP IEG Reform
UNEO proposal
SGs High-level Panel
GA Par 169 Informals
Negotiating impasse Implementation stuck Regime
weakening

• Similar issues
• Coherence coop
• Univ mem
• Policy advice guidance
• Science
• Treaty compliance
• Not Env Mins
• Political momentum?

System-wide coherence Cooperation
integration Not Env Mins Political momentum?

• Cartagena
• GC/GMEF
• Bali/capacity
• Finances
• Coherence coop
• Science
• Univ mem
• Env Mins
• Consensus
• Lost political momentum
• No implementation

Similar issues but also trade agenda Political
momentum? Deep suspicions in developing c. USA
Competing agendas expectations
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Start with the end in mind

• Move the global debate on environmental issues
  into the centre of the developmental debate
• 2. Effectively mobilise and use the resources
  (finance, technology, knowledge capacity) for
  actual implementation of environmentally
  sustainable development interventions
• 3. Move the environment to the centre of
  political and economic decision-making, and in
  the process transform UNEP into a central player
  rather than a marginal player at the
  intergovernmental level

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Breaking the impasse

• The debate on strengthening IEG is likely to
  proceed along two tracks

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Breaking the impasse

• Track 1 Short term
• Start debate on breaking down current firewall
  between SD Environment in UN System
• Strengthen UNEP by implementing what has already
  been agreed (and in the process build trust!).
• Trigger to strengthen regime must come from the
  North must address means of implementation
  (finance, technology, capacity-building).
• Maintain balance between UNEPs normative and
  operational roles.

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To build UNEPs leadership role in the UN system
would require

• Enhancing role of GC/GMEF in providing policy
  advice guidance
• Establishing UNEP as authoritative voice on
  environment by strengthening scientific knowledge
  assessment capacity bridge gap from science to
  policy implementation
• Renewed focus on capacity-building for
  implementation
• Predictable, adequate stable financial
  resources
• Fresh mandates to ensure MEA inter-agency
  coordination and cooperation

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Breaking the impasse

• Track 2 Medium term
• Much of current debate focuses on institutional
  design (e.g. a UNEO) rather than common
  environmental SD priorities.
• Focus of debate should be common vision
  priorities
• Dialogue between Ministers should have a
  political rather than institutional focus
• Do not close door on transforming UNEP as
  institution but only once
• UNEP outgrows its current design advantages can
  be demonstrated
• We have clear vision of how to break down
  firewall between Environment and SD

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Key questions for AMCEN Ministers

• What is our common understanding of what needs to
  be addressed in order to create a more equitable
  and effective international environmental
  governance system?
• How do we address the current fragmentation of
  the system that has created the firewall
  between Environment and Development?
• How do we proceed to develop a common African
  position on IEG and what is the role of AMCEN?

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• Thank you!