Summary
In preparation for the second meeting of the Open-Ended Committee of Permanent Representatives (OECPR-2), Major Groups and Stakeholders (MGS) met on Sunday, 14 February 2016, at the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), Kenya. They discussed, inter alia: the need for input from UNEA-2 to the Third UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III); the environmental impact of the refugee crisis; and the role of the MGS in the OECPR and UNEA processes. The MGS also engaged in joint and working group talks on the OECPR agenda, with a view to presenting concrete messages to Member States on the draft resolutions to be negotiated and forwarded to UNEA-2. They considered topics including: the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda; the Paris Climate Agreement; mobilizing finances for investment in sustainable development; the Global Thematic Report on the theme of “Healthy Environment – Healthy People”; and the sixth Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-6) process.
Julia Pataki, CPR Chair, expressed appreciation for the contribution of MGS to CPR meetings, assuring them that the CPR “is determined to continue on a path of openness and transparency.” Ibrahim Thiaw, UNEP Deputy Executive Director, noted that as implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) begins, the world’s attention has been taken up by humanitarian crises. He drew attention to the need for tackling the root causes of displacement and conflict, and urged MGS to highlight critical challenges such as integrating the climate and biodiversity agendas, “decarbonizing and detoxifying” economic growth, and moving beyond “private sector philanthropy” towards new sustainable business models.
In the afternoon, MGS held an interactive dialogue with representatives of Member States and Jorge Laguna Celis, UNEP Secretariat of Governing Bodies. They discussed issues including improving opportunities for stakeholder engagement through creative and less costly means of interaction, and implementing a genuinely inclusive green economy agenda. Member States endorsed the role of stakeholders in the preparations toward UNEA-2.
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and daily reports from OECPR-2. In addition, IISD Reporting Services, has published a summary and analysis from OECPR-2 in HTML and PDF formats. Available in ENB Mobile at: http://enb.iisd.mobi/unep-oecpr2016/.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth
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View of the dais at the start of the Major Groups and Stakeholders Preparatory Meeting
Julia Pataki, CPR Chair
Ibrahim Thiaw, Deputy Executive Director, UNEP
Yunus Arikan, Local Authorities
Major Group
Tareq Hassan, Arab Youth Climate Movement (AYCM)
Peter Denson, Regional Representative
for North America
Members of civil society raise their hands during the meeting
Norine Kennedy, Business and Industry Major Group
Leida Rijnhout, Non-Governmental Organizations
(NGO) Major Group
Jorge Laguna-Celis, Secretary of Governing Bodies, UNEP
Jan-Gustav Strandenaes, Stakeholder Forum
Major Groups and Stakeholders discussions continue throughout the day
Fazal Issa, Regional Representative
for Africa
Dalia Marquez, Children and Youth
Major Group
Brian Aberi, International Youth Council
