Rationalizing the Global Environmental Governance System: Synergies between Multilateral Environmental Agreements

1. Rationalizing the Global Environmental Governance System: Synergies between Multilateral Environmental Agreements Pamela S. Chasek, Ph.D.Executive Editor, Earth Negotiations Bulletin International Institute for Sustainable Development Associate Professor of International Relations, Manhattan College

2. Key challenges • 500 international treaties and agreements on the environment • 300 regional • 155 biodiversity-related • 179 chemicals-related • 46 land-related • 196 water-related • Proliferation of subsidiary bodies under these conventions. • Conventions are largely sectoral in nature, geographically scattered and under different administrative arrangements. • Sectors that are not covered by a MEA are now often covered by Forums. • UN specialized agencies are increasingly taking environmental issues into consideration.

3. So how do you rationalize and develop synergies between issues and conventions?

4. Lots of discussion and many workshops • Synergies between the Rio Conventions • Synergies between the chemicals conventions • Synergies between biodiversity-related conventions

5. Challenges in the Development of Synergies • The need for synergies at the national level as well as the international level • The dispersion of national focal points across government ministries and agencies • The importance of engaging the right actors

6. Addressing Synergies at the International Level • Convention Secretariats: • Strengthening communication and information exchange with other secretariats • Rationalizing reporting and national implementation requirements • At the COP level: • Establishment of selected joint work programmes • Systematically crosslink decisions in one COP with other COPs’ decisions

7. Addressing Synergies at the National Level • Coordination between focal points for interrelated conventions • Coordination of responsibilities of conventions between various sectoral policies • Development of joint implementation programmes • Development of a more participatory approach • Ensure political attention to promote capacity building • Links with the development agenda at the country level • Appropriate institutional mechanisms • Coordination of funding sources

8. Example: African Focal Points • Of the 53 African countries, only 21 list the same ministry as its focal point for all three Rio conventions. • In the other 32 countries often the focal points for two conventions are the same, but the third one is different. • Just looking at the UNCCD focal points alone, ministries include agriculture, environment, forests, and rural development.

9. OECD Focal Points • Of 25 OECD countries, 19 maintain UNCCD focal points in ministries of foreign affairs (environment or development departments within the ministry) or ministries of development cooperation • This is quite different from Africa • The five who maintain focal points in agriculture or environment ministries are those who suffer from desertification

10. International-National-Local • No one has paid much attention to the local level. • Local people deal with problems, not conventions. • Local people and organizations don’t always realize resources may be available. • National governments don’t always report local successes because of a disconnect between local activities and international reporting requirements.

11. More Challenges in the Development of Synergies • Conventions and the UN system have created competing ways of addressing facets of the same problem

13. Additional Challenges • Environmental issues are seldom at the top of the development cooperation agenda • Short-sighted political objectives • Roles and responsibilities of the secretariats vary

14. Bonn Montreal UN Secretariat UNEP UNCCD UNFCCC CBD CST SBSTA IPCC SBSTTA Ad Hoc Groups Ad Hoc Groups Global Mechanism GEF

15. Moving Forward: Recommendations 1.Improve synergies at the national level. • Between conventions and focal points • Coordination of MEA implementation and development planning 2. Improve synergies among donors and recipients • Coordination of funding programmes and projects that implement multiple MEAs • Implementation of the Paris Declaration – more coordinated and recipient driven funding 3. Improve synergies in reporting requirements. • Rationalize and possibly decrease reporting requirements • Find similar issues across different MEAs where one coordinated report may suffice 4. Improve synergies among scientific and technical bodies. • Explore ways for greater cooperation between scientific and technical bodies • Encourage greater communication and collaboration between ministry officials who attend different scientific and technical body meetings. • Develop mechanisms for results of scientific and technical bodies to be taken up by political bodies (COPs, etc.)

16. Thank you! Thank you!