Draft report of the Joint meeting of UNEP National Committees/

ROE partner NGOs and Regional Civil Society Forum in preparations for the 5th GlobalCivil Society Forum

Geneva, 27- 28 November 2003

This paper is drawn up by NGOs and UNEP National Committees, from countries in transition and developed countries of Europe meeting in Geneva on the 27th and 28th of November 2003.

Introduction

In preparing this meeting the following organizations were consulted: ECOFORUM, The Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development (ECO-Accord), Friends of the Earth Croatia, World Economic Forum, World Council of Churches, Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council, International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR), ANPED UNECE UNCTAD Danish 92 Group Stake holder forum University of Plymouth UNDP/Danube IUCN Permanent Secretariat Convention on Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution, UN-NGLS, International Institute for Sustainable Development, UNECE, Ecumenical Association of Churches – AIDRom, South East European Environmental NGOs network (SEEENN), Green Cross International, Stakeholder Forum for Our Common Future,World Student Community for Sustainable Development, ALCAN, Swiss Re, IBEX Investment Group (Switzerland), WBSCD and UNEP

The annual meeting of UNEP national committees and partner NGOs was held from 25-26 November 2002 at the Regional office for Europe.

The meeting was attended by representatives of 17 European National Committees (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Norway, Romania, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan) and networks of NGOs and Civil Society groups promoting Pan-European cooperation in the field of the environment including – ANPED (The Northern Alliance for Sustainability), Earth Justice, ECO-Forum. Serbia and Montenegro, Croatia, Switzerland

The objectives of the meeting were:

to introduce the nature and work of the networks represented by the new committees (Bulgaria, Ireland and Kyrgyzstan);

to provide a wide range of information exchange and briefings on new developments on the work of UNEP and partners since the last meeting

to provide an opportunity for National Committees to exchange information, network and develop a mutually beneficial work programme for both committee specific and joint activities;

to assess the implementation of the 2001 Rolling Work Programme agreed upon during the last Global NC meeting held in December 2001; and

to develop a work programme for the year 2003 and draft a joint declaration to be presented to the Executive Director of UNEP and to the next UNEP Governing Council session through the NGO/Civil Society Forum.

The meeting particularly identified and focussed on three areas for discussion:

  1. The outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD).

Extensive discussions and briefings were held on WSSD. It was a summit to discuss how to improve the lives of people living in poverty and to reverse the continuing degradation of the global environment. The outcome of the Summit was very encouraging for the future work of UNEP to implement a number of partnership programmes with grassroots organizations. The success of the summit to a large extent was due to the prominent role played by civil society groups. It also reaffirmed that the implementation of sustainable development require efforts and actors beyond the State. The national committees and partner NGOs have a major role in implementing the outcomes and in promoting partnership initiatives.

Other presenters included the United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS), the Northern Alliance for Sustainability (ANPED), and Earth Justice. They particularly focused their presentation in the areas of human rights where a lot of momentum was built on the issue prior to the Summit with the help of UNEP and Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. However, they expressed their disappointment the way the issues were watered down in the plan of implementation.

  1. The on going preparations for Fifth Ministerial Conference "Environment For Europe” process, Kiev, Ukraine, 21-23 May 2003

The meeting was briefed by one of the main Pan-European NGOs responsible for the coordination of the NGO/Civil Society input into the process (the European ECO-Forum-a network of more than 200 Environmental Citizens Organizations throughout Europe)

Just like Aarhus, this conference will see significant role of NGOs in the negotiations and other developments of the Environment For Europe process.

The meeting was also informed about an up coming meeting of representatives from over 60 international, European and national environmental citizens organizations (ECOs) from 28 countries under the auspices of the European ECO–Forum in Bratislava, 7–9 December 2002 with the aim to discuss their demands and proposals to the Governments of the UNECE in the run–up to the Kiev Conference. The meeting is expected to agree and come up with a declaration containing a number of recommendations and suggestions on the progress in the pan–European region on environmentally sound sustainable development.

The meeting was also informed about the success of the Global Judges Symposium on Sustainable Development and the Role of Law that was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 18 to 20 August 2002. A follow up symposium will be in Kiev prior to the Environment for Europe Conference.

The European ECO-Forum agreed to provide the committees information and new development in this process.

  1. Preparations for the Fourth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health – “The Future for Our Children” - Budapest 2004.

The participants were briefed about the work of the European Environment and Health Committee (EEHC) a unique coalition of countries and organizationsin the WHO European Region bringing together representatives from health ministries, environment ministries, intergovernmental organizations and civil-society organizations.

The role of this committee is to provide a forum for the discussion ofenvironment and health policy, and it serves as the steering committee for the series of ministerial conferences on environment and health, held by WHO every five years. The next session is the Fourth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health that will be held in June 2004 in Budapest under the overall topic of The Future for Our Children. Since UNEP is a member of this committee, national committees will be sent additional information in the lead up to the conference.

  1. Progress in implementing the Aarhus Convention and the outcomes of the first meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention (October 2002) and UNEP’s role in the implementation of the Convention within Europe and the promotion of the convention’s principles beyond Europe.

Three presentations were made on this topic, one by the Secretariat of the Aarhus Convention (UNECE) relating to the outcomes of the recently held meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention (October 2002) were UNEP was also represented by the Executive Director and the Regional Director. Since the adoption of the Aarhus Convention in June 1998, significant achievements have been made in promoting citizens’ environmental rights to information, participation and access to justice.

The first meeting of the parties took place after intensive preparations over 4 years. It attracted very broad participation and led to the adoption of the Lucca Declaration – a declaration adopted by a much wider audience than just parties or signatories to the Convention.

The Lucca COP also adopted an additional 14 decisions concerning the Convention, including: PRTR, GMOs; Access to justice, Electronic tools, Capacity building; Compliance :, Procedural/institutional framework.

The meeting was also briefed about initiatives that have been either undertaken or brokered by UNEP to assist with the implementation of the Convention within Europe and the promotion of the convention’s principles beyond Europe. To that end, information was shared on UNEP GC Decision 20/4 and 20/6, the development of UNEP.Net a global initiative to facilitate access to environmental information through the development of a set of thematic and geographic portals; establishment the Task Force on Electronic Tools and Media to promote best practices in relation to information access strategies, methodologies and tools; several capacity building workshops on the implementation of the Aarhus Convention for representatives from both governmental and non-governmental organizations.

The participants were also briefed on the work that is underway to establish a UNECE/UNEP Capacity Building Service for the implementation of the Convention with the assistance of UNEP/GRID-Arendal. The committees were encouraged to participate in the service by promoting the service, feeding in relevant information and by distributing the available information to institutions and universities.

  1. Several briefings on UNEP activities and projects

The Committees were extensively briefed and provided with a wealth of information by a number of UNEP Units including: the preparations for the 22nd UNEP Governing Council Session (which will focus on the work programme and budget of 2004/2005. In view of the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development the session will discuss the ways and means to implement the outcomes of the Summit);

preparations for Basel COP6; Environmental Security Project, outcomes of CITES COP, The Global Environment Outlook (GEO-2002) and the Caucasus Environment Outlook (CEO) Reports; the outcomes of the International Year of Mountains; and the media and national committees (the committees being closer to the news at home they could provide up to date information on new developments and also provide a list of journalist that can be contacted by UNEP either for the distribution of press related work or feed back UNEP on the impact of UNEP releases.

The meeting had the opportunity to hear from the representative of the UNEP/DPDL NGOs/Civil Society Unit on the revised UNEP Civil Society Strategy paper. The committees were very pleased to see that UNEP is moving towards formalizing relationships with the non-governmental organizations. But also expressed their frustration and concern over the way UNEP is dealing with NGOs. During last year’s meeting the committees recognized the special opportunity and privilege afforded to them by the close association with UNEP through national committee status to implementing a number of mutually rewarding environmental projects. They put together the attached paper entitled “Our Common Future: a strategic vision for UNEP national committees” to further strengthen this unique cooperation with UNEP. However, UNEP had not taken a decision on the paper.

The committees felt that the revised Civil Society Strategy paper failed to recognize the role and functions of UNEP national Committees that have been set up under Governing Council Decision 13/33 in order to support the activities of UNEP. Furthermore, GC Decision 15/42 requested the Executive Director to continue efforts to establish the maximum practical number of UNEP National Committees to assist UNEP in its work.

In view of the Aarhus process that calls for greater participation of civil society in environmental matters, as well as the WSSD Plan of Implementation, which calls for an effective institutional framework for sustainable development at all levels, to achieve enhanced public participation and effective involvement of civil society, UNEP must recognize the important role and potential of National Committees for promoting public participation in decision-making and integrating global environmental concerns in environmental management practices at the national and (sub)regional levels.

The growing number and engagement of the national committees network in Europe should be seen as an added value for UNEP’s work, and UNEP should encourage other regions to promote and support the establishment of National Committees.

Many committees have been instrumental in the dissemination of environmental information, hosting and organizing UNEP events and workshops, as well as the launching of UNEP flagship publications.

  1. Contribution and role of NATCOMs and work programme 2003.

Based on the two-day presentations and exchange of information a number of follow up activities are envisaged for the year 2003.

In terms of the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), UNEP will inform the committees on follow up activities and actions on the partnership agreements.

In preparation for Fifth Ministerial Conference "Environment For Europe” process in Kiev, UNECE will put the committees on its information mail list and they will be informed about latest developments.

The committees will be informed about the on going reparations for the Fourth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health. The committees will also look into environment and health related activities undertaken by children in their countries that could be used in the preparation of a children’s book as best practice examples.

The secretariat of the Aarhus Convention will involve the national committees in its information exchange process. They will also be actively involved in the UNECE/UNEP Capacity Building Service for the implementation of the Convention.

As in the past years, the committees will be provide with up to date information on the World Environment Day and also the International Year of Freshwater. They will assist in organizing special events in support of the occasion.

  1. Other matters

One of the sticking points through out the meeting was the issue of finances. The committees are willing and ready to do a number of activities in support of UNEP (lobbying, participating in national networks, monitoring UNEP’s coverage, translation, distribution of UNEP publications and materials and organizing special UNEP events etc). UNEP definitely needs a vice at the national level and the committees can fill in that gap. However, they cannot deliver the work programme if it is not backed by financial support. UNEP has to invest in its national committees. One way could be to set up a national committees’ Trust fund for this purpose. Particularly both WSSD and Aarhus called for engagement of civil society and this should serve as a justification to set up the fund.

UNEP is currently preparing for a Civil Society/NGO Forum prior to the Governing Council. The committees strongly felt that such a forum should also be a venue for the participation of national networks and such networks should play a larger role in shaping the civil society agenda.

UNEP should continue to initiate and implements specific projects with NGOs. The example of the Rio Principles 10 and 15 assessment report could serve as an example in bringing the know how of NGOs in assessing the implementation of sustainable development goals.

The committees would also be interested to have some training on project development at the national level. This could help in tapping locally available resources to implement joint projects.

The committees also suggested to put more information on the national committees web site so that they are aware of what the other committees are working on. They were also encouraged to make use of the unep-natcom listserve that was set up to facilitate information exchange between the committees and UNEP.

The committees would like to see a formal answer to the issues they raised from the Executive Director, in particular how he sees the future role of UNEP national committees and any plans to strengthen their work.

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