Governance
The current system of global environmental governance reflects the challenge of assembling cooperation among the international community, even on environmental matters that all agree require common action. There are three elements to global environmental governance. One element is comprised of intergovernmental organizations within the United Nations system, led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which are responsible for developing and coordinating environmental and sustainable development policy at the international level. A second element is the framework of international environmental law, which takes the form of a large number of environmental treaties. These treaties, such as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, are legally binding agreements that call on countries to take joint action on environmental problems. A third element is the financing mechanism to build capacity to carry out treaty commitments, to supplement national efforts toward sustainable development in poorer countries, and to support the UN agencies and treaty secretariats that coordinate and carry out environmental efforts. These include the bilateral development assistance, the World Bank, other regional development banks, UN funds like the UN, the Global Environment Facility, philanthropies, and the private sector.
Events and Articles
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2021 CCICED Annual General Meeting
Experts from around the world convened to discuss research findings and recommendations towards China’s environment and development policies and practices, including its domestic policies, the Belt and Road Initiative, and contributions to global environmental governance processes.
2021 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF 2021)
“Let us renew our determination to build a strong, sustainable, and inclusive recovery from the pandemic, and to take decisive action together to defeat the climate crisis and keep the promise of the 2030 Agenda,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
1st Global Meeting of National Focal Points under the 5th Montevideo Programme
The sessions managed to achieve its goals, including designating a first-ever Steering Committee to guide Programme implementation and selecting an initial focus area for substantive Programme work.
How to Make Hybrid Meetings Work
All three Rio Conventions announced in-person meetings for the final quarter of 2021. The trio of organizations—UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)—all seem to be going ahead full steam. The UNFCCC Bureau just announced it will hold three weeks of informal talks in June and agreed decision making is an in-person affair, to occur at the next formal meeting. (The day after this article was originally published, the UNCCD announced its COP will take place in 2022. A virtual ExCOP will adopt an interim budget this year.)
7th Session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD-7)
ARFSD 7 adopted the “Brazzaville Declaration”, and a summary report articulating African priorities, policy options and recommendations for the regions input to the 2021 HLPF.
UNEA-5 (Online Session)
The Assembly adopted the UN Environment Programme Medium-Term Strategy for 2022-2025, and the programme of work and budget for the next biennium. It also launched the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the creation of UNEP. During a high-level leadership dialogue, participants outlined their respective country’s contributions to the environmental dimension of sustainable development to building a resilient and inclusive post-pandemic world.
5th Meeting of the Open-Ended Committee of Permanent Representatives to UNEP (Online Session)
Delegates considered three decisions for the fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5): endorsement of a medium-term strategy (MTS) for 2022-2025, and programme of work and budget for the biennium 2022-2023; the management of trust funds and earmarked contributions; and convening the resumed, in-person sessions of OECPR-5 and UNEA-5.
Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum (GMGSF)
Major Groups and Stakeholders cautioned that the proposed Medium-Term Strategy for the UN Environment Programme does not sufficiently commit to protect the human right to a healthy environment and should give more attention to the interface between human and planetary health, among other proposals.
12th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Vienna Convention (Part I) and 32nd Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol
As the meeting closed, delegates agreed that the meeting sent an important signal that despite difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the goals of the Montreal Protocol are well on track and, while virtual meetings are difficult, they showed that if something should be done, it can be done.
2nd Extraordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD ExCOP 2)
Parties adopted an interim budget for the Biodiversity Convention, the Cartagena Protocol, and the Nagoya Protocol since the current budget runs out on 31 December 2020 and there is a pressing need to keep the Secretariat operating and enable parties to pay their dues in 2021.