Europa > L'Union europenne dans le monde > European Union @ United Nations > EU Speaking Points - Environmental Reform

Plan du site | Index A-Z | Emplois | Liens | Contact

English Español Français

 

 

EU Speaking Points - Environmental Reform

Informal Meeting of the General Assembly on Environmental Reform, Questions 1-3; Statement by Counsellor Alice Zaunschirm, Austrian Mission to the United Nations, on behalf of the European Union.

On behalf of the EU, I would like to thank the co-chairs for the program they have prepared for our informal consultations this month. It takes into account remarks and comments made by several delegations during our last meeting in May.

As was raised by some delegations during your last briefing, we are aware of the burden these environmental consultations may cause to both the co-chairs and delegations, in the context of an already heavy agenda this month. But we are convinced that, thanks to our co-chairs and with the help of all of us, they can be carried out in an efficient way. We consider that the issues and challenges raised during these consultations are very important. They deserve our consideration in order to have a more complete picture at the end of this round. We believe that they will be very helpful for the next steps of the process.

The specific questions raised at today's meeting are crucial for finding effective answers to the global degradation of the environment and to enhance the coherence of the UN system.

We have prepared our intervention according to the specific questions that you have set out in your letter and we are ready to go through them question by question. Before we do so, let me briefly sum up some key messages that we would like to convey on the issues on the table for his meeting

First: Enhanced coordination at policy level is necessary to ensure that the UN has the capacity to contribute efficiently to sustainable development and to the achievement of the MDGs, to enhance mainstreaming of the environment throughout the UN system, and it is necessary to improve collaboration between the UN system and other relevant actors outside the UN (Convention Secretariats, World bank, GEF etc.)

Second: Enhanced coordination at operational level is crucial to ensure that environmental issues become part of national needs assessments and of sustainable development programming and implementation. Enhanced donor coordination and harmonisation would complement this process by ensuring better that funds are made available for established priorities.

Third: to improve policy guidance and advice, it is important to make better use of the information environmental assessments and early warning systems provide. A clearing house mechanism could be established to make data and information better accessible for environmental policy makers at all (national, regional and global) levels.

Fourth: a stronger focus on capacity building for environmental policy making, implementation and the establishment of appropriate regulatory frameworks and institutional structures at the national level is essential to increase participation in discussions on IEG, to strengthen the impact of the outcome of such discussions and to enhance coherence in the positions taken in the various global environmental fora.

All countries need to focus more on improved internal coordination to convey more coherent messages while participating in environmental and other fora

We believe that the option of upgrading UNEP into a specialised agency would address these needs.

We also consider it important to highlight that it would be necessary to find a proper, functional and permanent role for civil society within a reformed system and that the outcomes of this discussion feed in the work of the High Level panel on System Wide Coherence

a) major challenges and practical implications

The development of a large number of multilateral environmental agreements, programs, organisations and processes with environment as part of their mandates has resulted in a very diversified body of rules and a multiplicity of institutional structures.

The current system makes it difficult for governments -especially in developing countries- to participate in every meeting as well as in the various decision-making processes, to implement and monitor all the agreements at the national level, to respond to the growing reporting demands and to ensure coherence among strategies in the context of the implementation of Agenda 21 and the JPOI.

There is a lack of political authority of the international environmental actions, especially within the UN.

In the absence of a coherent institutional framework there is an increasing number of coordination mechanisms, with excessive related transaction costs. Funds are allocated in a non-rationalized way and overlap in mandates and activities leads to duplication of efforts and related costs.

Challenges also include the inadequate integration of normative environmental policy into UN operational activites, including co-ordination of capacity building to support developing countries national governance and MEA compliance. This weakens the capacity of the UN to contribute to sustainable development and the MDGs.

b) improving coordination within the UN system

The modalities of participation are crucial for judging the degree of legitimacy of a more integrated structure for environment within the UN system.

Enhanced coordination at policy as well as operational level is also essential to ensure that environmental issues become part of national needs assessments and sustainable development programs. Interagency cooperation and coordination through the EMG and the UNDG must be strengthened as well as the cooperation of the UN system with other relevant actors outside the UN. In the immediate term, we have to ensure the full and efficient implementation of all elements of the Cartagena package.

We have to insure that all relevant actors, in particular funding institutions, are integrated in these processes. Information exchange should be improved and assessment as well as early warning systems should be enhanced with a view to sufficient international visibility.

An agency such as UNEO with the capability for promoting the development of international environmental policy would have the required legitimacy to address these needs.

The coordination of major cross-cutting issues as well as programs of work by a specialized agency could improve the efficiency of environmental activities and lead to a better allocation of funding.

The rationalization of the international agenda venues would also ensure a broader participation. A UNEO could develop such activities in consultation with the COPs and Secretariats of relevant bodies. States would thus be in a position to take part in the decision-making process at all key levels.

c) improving coordination between the UN system and the environmental treaties

We have to ensure the full and efficient implementation of all elements of the Cartagena package, inter alia through the promotion of inter-agency cooperation and coordination at policy level particularly through the EMG and UNDG.

Several organizational approaches are relevant to further address the issue of coordination, from the most centralised to the most flexible ones. Bearing in mind the legal autonomy of the conventions, the structure of a UNEO could be that of an "umbrella Organization".

UNEPs role as a secretariat for a number of environmental treaties within one and the same sectors (chemicals) could be more effectively organised. This would not touch upon the legal autonomy of the environmental treaties concerned but would allow for synergies in programmatic, technical support or logistical terms.

Some cross-cutting functions (information exchange, assessment and early warning, communication, review and follow up, capacity-building in some cases) could be carried out by this agency, after approval by the COPs. It could also centralize information on environmental issues, which would rationalize the costs of data collection and analysis.

Lastly, strengthening regional offices of an upgraded UNEP could be explored in order to coordinate, at regional level, the implementation of the global and regional MEAs.

d) Environment Management Group

The aim of the EMG is to achieve greater inter-agency policy coherence and collaboration. Unfortunately, UNEP being one of the weakest participants, the EMG does not have the capacity to coordinate the other agencies. Another weakness lies with the insufficient steering from the Ministerial Forum (GMEF). EMG could play an important role in improving international environmental governance, if it could focus on identifying the sectoral environmental issues in need of horizontal coordination and let UNDG act accordingly on the operational level.



a) major gaps and practical implications

The current system is characterized by a great diversity of approaches and by incoherence: an increasing number of MEAs; UNEP and UN agencies; bodies and processes such as CSD, UNFF; non-UN structures which play major roles (WTO, the Bretton Woods Institutions and GEF).

Despite the current implementation of the Cartagena package to strengthen international environmental governance, there is a leadership deficit, which leads to lack of an authoritative voice for the environment, an incoherent policy guidance and priority setting from the political level, a lack of ownership in policy response; insufficient activities to support capacity building and technology support in developing countries, a weak link between scientific inputs and policy decisions of UNEP and an inefficient decision-making on programmatic issues at both the national and regional levels..

Moreover, UNEP is an insufficiently authoritative platform for policy discussion and strategy making.

As a consequence, the environmental pillar does not contribute effectively to the implementation and fulfillment of the MDGs, Agenda 21 and the JPOI.

b) Adress gaps while respecting the legal autonomy of the treaties and promotion of a more coherent global environment agenda

In the broader framework of Agenda 21, the MDGs and the JPOI, the international community has recognized the specific role of the environmental pillar and set action targets. What is lacking at this point is the global capacity to implement it in a coherent and focussed manner. This capacity, for a variety of reasons, is lacking at the national/regional level mainly due to difficulties experienced by virtually all organizations in raising and utilizing financial resources, mobilizing expertise and applying scientific knowledge in practice.

We have to strengthen the coordination within the UN system, outside the UN and at regional and national levels, including all relevant actors, and increase the coordination and information exchange between the relevant policy-setting UN bodies and the Conventions.

A UNEO, conceived as an "umbrella organization", with the mandate to promote and monitor the development and adoption of international environmental policy and standards could address these needs. It could be conceived as the custodian of the autonomy of the MEAs and their COPs. It could also be responsible for ensuring that relevant cross cutting issues are dealt with at the global strategy level as well as at the national/regional operational levels.

The participation of member states and parties in every step of these processes would contribute to the coherence of the system and would respect the autonomy of the conventions.

d) GC/Global Ministerial Environment Forum

GMEF plays the role of the main forum for environmental policy within the UN only to a certain extent. One reason being that the ministers attending do not command the majority of funding available for global environmental activities. The GMEF also lacks any sustained means to directly follow through on its recommendations. The GC/GMEF can be improved through priority setting, a comprehensive long term strategy for the environment, budgetary planning and greater visibility within the UN system. An upgraded UNEP would be instrumental in this regard.


e) specific challenges

We already discussed the specific challenges within the UN system as well as between the UN system and the MEAs.

A specialised agency could develop cooperation and advisory mechanisms between the UN system and other international organizations in terms of policy advice and guidance. In order to work as a clearing-house of environmental information and activities, UNEO could establish MOUs with other agencies or organisations suggesting to report on their work programmes related to environment.

Furthermore, a specialised agency could negotiate joint programmes with other bodies and participate in interagency task forces when an environmental leader is needed.



Reports such as the Global Environmental Outlook and the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment show that the environment is deteriorating at a rapid pace and developing countries, in particular LDCs and SIDS are its first victims. Environmental degradation is not only an environmental concern. Above all it is a serious threat to development and to the achievement of the MDGs. It is also linked to global security concerns.

a) major challenges and practical implications

The support of the international community for the elaboration of national environmental policies is one of the implications of the principles of the Rio Declaration.

Many efforts have been made in this respect: UNDP, UNEP and the World Bank have focussed on developing and financing national environment policies and strategies. So did the bilateral donors.

However, due to many factors (weak mobilization of resources due to poor legitimacy and fragmentation, lack of funding for lead agencies that deal with capacity-building, lack of financial resources for implementing international environmental norms and standards, deficiencies in inter-agency support for the integration of action on environmental sustainability and climate change in the UN operational activities, lack of donor coordination, etc.), the situation remains unsatisfactory and developing countries continue to face difficulties, in particular in the following areas: management of environmental public institutions and links with national planning and budgeting; environment monitoring; implementation of existing legislation; access to financial resources and environmentally friendly technology transfers; scientific expertise.

b) UN system support in this respect

The UN system currently offers strategies and plans (most importantly the Bali Strategic Plan) as well as support to PRSPs, funding mechanisms, implementation through agencies and programs (e.g. UNDP), UNDG for coordination,resident coordinators, common country assessments as well as the EMG.

But those efforts are hampered by weak legitimacy, coherence and visibility of UN guidance on environment. They are also poorly coordinated. The support to sustainable development and its 3 components should be better integrated into UN activities.

The UN system should better support the achievement of the MDGs and WSSD goals in developing countries, countries with economies in transition and emerging economies and promote the change towards more sustainable consumption and production patters in developed countries.

The UN system should improve multilateral cooperation and develop its action within the framework of national development strategies. A more integrated structure within the UN system, together with better integration of environment into properly coordinated UN operational activities should assist the implementation of environmental policies in developing countries through: strengthening of national administrations, facilitating the transcription of MEAs into national legislation, improving scientific expertise through enhanced capacity, providing better capacity to mobilize resources for priorities decided by Members States, contributing to capacity-building in cooperation with implementing bodies such as UNDP, World Bank as well as financial instruments (GEF).

A UNEO should be conceived as an integral part of UN efforts to support sustainable development, and thus improve the contribution of environment to development.

c) multilateral funding mechanisms for the environment

Multilateral funding mechanisms for the environment are characterized by a lack of predictability, stability and coherence.

The GEF is the main financial multilateral instrument contributing to the financing of environmental projects in developing countries. It has, de facto, a coordinating role among some of the MEAs for which it is a financial mechanism. GEF needs to be more responsive to the COPs guidance and national priorities.

Currently UNEP, the World Bank and UNDP are the three implementing agencies for the GEF. A specialized agency would guarantee the current executing function of UNEP by concentrating on operational activities, for which it could bring a real added value.

It could thus improve the situation by:

- presenting, together with the Conventions, strategic orientations defined by member States

- mobilizing resources to address specific and urgent requirements not contemplated by existing mechanisms,;

- ensuring optimal and speedy allocation of such resources, within the framework of strategies and orientations defined by member states;

- mobilizing the required scientific and technical expertise to ensure the quality of operational activities in the environmental field;

- rationalizing the costs by a better handling of cross-cutting issues in order to improve the efficiency of activities and exploit institutional synergies at all levels.


d) contribution of the environmental dimension to the strengthening of sustainable development

The three pillars of sustainable development - economic development social development and environmental protection - are interdependent and mutually reinforcing. An increased political profile of the environmental dimension within sustainable development is essential for achieving economic development and poverty eradication.

The UN system has to assist countries in promoting and implementing sustainable development strategies. In this regard, it should ensure that "environmental protection constitutes an integral part of the development process and cannot be considered in isolation of it" (Principle 4 of Rio Convention).

The principles of sustainable development should be integrated into policies and programmes. In this context, environmental considerations such as environmental sustainability, sustainable natural resource management and action on climate change should be incorporated into Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP) or similar documents, according to the priorities of developing countries. The UN should promote such an integrated approach in its system.

In order to facilitate the integration and strengthening of the environmental dimension in the development process, the UN system should contribute to: improved availability of data as input for policy decisions, adequate funding of environmental activites and increased cooperation among organisations, agencies and institutions, as well as efficient information exchange.

In our view, a specialized agency could perform a valuable function in this task. It could cooperate with other UN agencies, international financial institutions and bilateral donors, help to find adequate funding of environmental activities that contribute to sustainable development and ensure improved availability of scientific data. It could also help evaluate benefits from national and global environmental policies (energy savings, waste management, tourism promotion, health, etc.) and evaluate their consequences in terms of costs and promote fiscal incentive instruments in that regard. It could also be helpful in the promotion of environmentally sound technologies.

| Haut |

Recherche Avancée

• EU Presidency Statement - UN General Assembly: Environmental Reform (18/1/2007)
• Calendar of Austrian Presidency January - June 2006 (1/1/2006)
• Austrian EU-Presidency Priorities 2006 (1/1/2006)
• Directory of the Austrian Mission to the United Nations (1/1/2006)