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.
Upcoming events
UN Climate Change Conference Baku - November 2024
Key expected outcomes of COP 29 include a new collective quantified goal on climate finance to replace the current USD 100 billion per year goal and guidance on operationalization of the new loss and damage fund (including eligibility criteria).
Events and Articles
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75th Anniversary of the UN The Future We Want, the UN We Need: Reaffirming our Collective Commitment to Multilateralism
The official commemoration of UN75, which took place at a socially distanced UN Headquarters, with Heads of State and Government joining virtually, focused on the theme of “The future we want, the United Nations we need: Reaffirming our collective commitment to multilateralism.” The meeting was addressed by 111 Heads of State and Government and 14 Ministers, who spoke in support of multilateralism and global solidarity, among other themes.
SDG Moment 2020
The SDG Moment was convened virtually by UN Secretary-General António Guterres to identify changes needed to recover better from COVID-19 and deliver the SDGs over the next decade. A “reality check” on progress on the SDGs was followed by a session on SDG gaps and plans, with interventions by 21 nominated Heads of State and Government. Contributions from stakeholders then addressed finance for the decade, climate solutions, and inequality.
13th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP13)
Parties adopted the Gandhinagar Declaration calling for migratory species and “ecological connectivity” to be integrated and prioritized in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. Parties also added 10 new species to the Convention on Migratory Species Appendices, approved conservation plans for 14 species, and adopted other measures benefiting migratory species.
Chile/Madrid Climate Change Conference - December 2019
Disconnects between the demands of people, science, and what the process could deliver—and between countries that want to look to the future and those focused on the past—ultimately undermined the ability for the Chile/Madrid Climate Change Conference to deliver, despite COP 25 running nearly 40 hours overtime.
3rd Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP3)
The third meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP3) to the Minamata Convention on Mercury focused on achieving the smooth functioning of an international treaty body as well as substantive and technical issues aimed at fostering action to address mercury production and use around the world.
31st Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (MOP 31)
Delegates to the 31st Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol successfully completed five days of negotiations, with the most pressing agenda items—terms of reference for the study on the 2021-2023 replenishment of the Multilateral Fund, the unexpected emissions of trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11), and the areas of focus for the 2022 quadrennial assessment reports of the three Assessment Panels—requiring careful negotiation to balance different parties’ agendas.
Data for Now – Accelerating Progress Through Timely Data
The Data for Now Initiative aims to support collaboration and partnership for the sustainable use of robust methods and tools that improve the timeliness, coverage, and quality of SDG data.
Launch of the Global Hub on Governance for the SDGs
Speakers discussed experiences and tools that they could share through the initiative, which seeks to tackle the specific governance challenges of SDG implementation.
UN Summits Week 2019
Inside the halls of the UN and outside on the streets of not only New York, but cities around the world where protests were held, the verdict of the people was clear: leaders are failing to address the environmental and development emergency that the world is currently facing.
14th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD (COP 14)
The Conference of the Parties ended on a note of optimism that there is a growing alignment of the land, climate, and biodiversity agendas, and, with its sharpened focus on land restoration, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification can offer cost-effective and sustainable solutions to some of the most entrenched global challenges today.