Issues that will be discussed include sustainable consumption, financing options for chemicals and waste, and system-wide coordination on Rio+20 follow-up.
The conference next week, is the first ever meeting of the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GC/GMEF), under universal membership.
The gathering is a direct result of Rio+20, when heads of state and governments decided to strengthen and upgrade UNEP – a move which represented the first institutional reform of the environment programme of the UN since the Stockholm UN Conference on the Human Environment established UNEP in 1972.
A major new UNEP-led technology initiative that focuses on the transfer of technology and expertise to developing countries in order to intensify the battle against climate change will also be announced.
UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said: “UNEP – with its long history of working with partners from governments, the UN family, cities, the scientific community, businesses and civil society – is entering a new phase that can better serve the needs of a growing global population while keeping humanity’s footprint within planetary boundaries.”
“The theme of the Governing Council, Rio+20: From Outcome to Implementation, highlights that the time has come for the world to scale-up and accelerate the implementation of the array of treaties and transformational policies that have been agreed and successfully demonstrated across the globe for over four decades.”
Conor McGlone