Transcript Institutional Linkages among MEAs: An Organizational and

Institutional Linkages among
MEAs: An Organizational and
Educational Development
Perspective
What the paper attempts:
• to review and comment on some of the
current efforts on linkages and synergy, and
to make recommendations on organizational
development and education which are
essential to synergy and sustainable
development
Why the Rio Conventions? What
are the commonalities?
• the CBD, the UNFCCC and the UNCCD
• a common sustainable development approach
• part of a larger and expanding process: Agenda
21, the Forest Principles and the Rio
Declaration ...
• the small size of these convention secretariats:
excellent (easier?) candidates for a new type of
partnership
How do these Conventions
differ?
• administrative and institutional
arrangements
• financial mechanisms
• inter-relationships with specialized agencies
• scientific and technical subsidiary bodies
• national focal points
• geographical location of secretariats
Synergy on scientific and
technical issues: some initiatives
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) of the World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) and United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP): small and
decentralized secretariat with large global
network
• "Protecting our Planet, Securing our Future,
Linking Environmental Issues with Human
Needs: Opportunities for Strategic
Interventions" by UNEP, the World Bank and
the United States/NASA: milestone report
Synergy on scientific and
technical issues: some initiatives
(cont.)
• subsidiary bodies of Convention secretariats:
initial stages of dialogue and thematic
workshops
• Other initiatives: World Resource Institute
(WRI) with the World Bank, UNDP and UNEP:
the "Millennium Assessment"; the IUCN:
Global Biodiversity Forums
Synergy on scientific and technical
issues: gaps to be addressed
• Initiatives still do not adequately address the
scientific capacity building requirements of
developing countries
• Closer and durable partnerships needed between
South-North and South-South institutions to share
and develop jointly research and to expand
networking
• Need for developing common/joint teams among the
three subsidiary bodies
• Need to integrate teams at national levels with the
various scientific and academic groups working on
these issues
Synergy on education, training and
awareness: some initiatives
• UNESCO Programme on Environment and
Population Education for Development
• Convention secretariats: capacity-building
programmes in selected countries in
collaboration with UNITAR and UNDP
• UNEP's Information Unit on Conventions:
activities on public information and
awareness
Synergy on education, training and
awareness: some initiatives (cont.)
• international, regional or sub-regional
agencies: educational activities (UNEP,
UNDP, WMO (for UNCCD and UNFCCC
mainly), FAO (for CBD and UNCCD
mainly), IFAD, World Bank, the regional
economic commissions, regional
development banks, the OECD...)
• NGO initiatives: (NGO Trialogue and many
others)
Synergy on education, training
and awareness: future directions
• joint synergy initiative to identify education
and public awareness materials and
expertise available around the world and to
ensure broad dissemination
• a possible partnership between the United
Nations University (UNU) and United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) could be a good
first step
Synergy initiatives on
information systems
• the biodiversity-related conventions
secretariats and the World Conservation
Monitoring Centre (WCMC):
harmonization of information management
for biodiversity-related treaties
• International Institute for Sustainable
Development (IISD): the Linkages
multimedia - the Earth Negotiation
Bulletin, Linkages Journal and Sustainable
Developments
Synergy initiatives on
information systems (cont.)
• CBD, UNFCCC and UNCCD secretariats:
joint programme to explore synergy in
information management (support to national
level information management, a common
Web page and common databases)
• increasing number of memoranda of
collaboration between secretariats:
UNCCD/CBD; UNCCD/Ramsar;
CBD/Ramsar, ...
• electronic networking
Synergy initiatives on financial
mechanisms
• the GEF: work being done on possible
synergy on GEF subjects related to land
degradation
• other multilateral and bilateral donor agencies
(e.g. the 'Fonds Français pour l'Environnement
Mondial' (FFEM), and regional and
subregional development banks)
• OECD and DAC Working Party on
Development Cooperation and Environment:
study on global environmental conventions
Synergy initiatives on financial
mechanisms (cont.)
• UN Department for Economic and Social
Affairs (UN/DESA): upcoming high-level
consultation before the end of 2001 on
Financing for Development
• New donors: for example, the Turner UN
Foundation and the UN Fund for International
Partnerships (UNFIP)
Synergy initiatives on national reporting
& communication of information
• UN/DESA: streamlining national reporting
for conventions, Agenda 21 and related
processes
• Initial contacts among the CBD, UNFCCC
and UNCCD secretariats: a joint pilot
programme for assisting Parties in
coordination at the national level of their
reports to the three conventions
Synergy initiatives on national reporting
& communication of information (cont.)
• UNDP's Sustainable Energy and
Environment Division (SEED): Expert
Meeting on Synergies between the CBD,
UNFCCC, UNCCD and the Forest
Principles, Sede Boqer, Israel, March 1997
• The WCMC: harmonizing information
management, which includes a component
on national reporting on biodiversity-related
conventions
Policy advice, principles, procedures &
legal aspects: relevant initiatives
• Report of the Secretary-General: "Renewing the
United Nations: A Programme for Reform"
• Report of the Secretary-General on Environment
and Human Settlements
• General policy guidance: by the UNGASS XIX
(June 1997); on a yearly basis by the UN
Commission on Sustainable Development; and the
Inter-Agency Committee on Sustainable
Development, subsidiary body of the UN
Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC)
Policy advice, principles, procedures &
legal aspects: relevant initiatives (cont.)
• The COP of each convention, the related subsidiary
bodies, bureaux and secretariats
• UNEP's meetings on the coordination of
Convention secretariats: both UNEP-administered
conventions and non-UNEP conventions
• Regional level: the Organization of American
States (OAS), the Organization for African Unity
(OAU), the UN regional economic commissions,
regional development banks, and others
Policy advice, principles, procedures &
legal aspects: relevant initiatives (cont.)
• Other initiatives: UNEP with IUCN's
Environmental Law Centre (ELC); UNITAR with
the IUCN/ELC; the Foundation of International
Environmental Law Development (FIELD), the
Institute for International Applied Systems
Analysis (IIASA), the Centre for Applied Studies
in International Negotiations (CASIN), the
Institute for Advanced Studies of the UN
University (UNU/IAS) and various academic
centres around the world
Guidance to COPs and
subsidiary bodies
• Guidance provided on coordination at
UNGASS XIX and in Secretary-General's
Report on Environment and Human
Settlements
• effectiveness could be increased of
meetings of the COPs and subsidiary
bodies: back-to-back events, coordinated
services, assistance to delegates...
Why organizational and
educational development?
• initiatives underway on scientific and
ecological linkages
• how to move from knowing about linkages
to managing and implementing synergies
• emphasis ought to be on people and
organizational behaviour rather than on
ecosystem behaviour and economic and
social impacts
Organizational development:
some elements
• the development of educational processes:
longer-term-oriented capacity building to
ensure sustainability in the society at large
• "coordination", "communication", "linkages",
"synergy" and "partnership": a gradually more
intensive involvement of partners or associates
• a greater involvement in networking
Organizational development:
some elements (cont.)
• encouragement and facilitation of the
participation of relevant partners or
stakeholders in policy and decision-making
• develop team-oriented arrangements to
encourage staff creativity and participation in
decision-making
• combination of management and leadership
• the building of sustainable partnerships
Partnerships for synergy
•
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•
develop long-term objectives jointly
meet periodically
exchange relevant information regularly
share concerns, approaches and views
build teams with a strong joint sense of
culture and belonging
Educational development:
some elements
• raise awareness about, and eliminate
obstacles to, all facets of sustainable
development (including social and political
sustainability)
• formal and non-formal educational systems
(education, training and awareness)
• develop the values, principles and attitudes
that encourage sustainable behaviour and
discourage those that lead to unsustainable
behaviour
Obstacles to synergy
• lack of an organizational development
awareness in international organizations
• fragmented and specialized approach
• short-sighted political objectives
• competition for international funds
• competition at the national level
Recommendations
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Improving organizational capabilities
Adopting a trial and error approach
A national and local focus
An ethical framework for sustainable
development