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Science Initiative
The Governing Council decision SS.VII/1 on international environmental governance
of 15 February 2002 adopted the report, which concluded that the increasing
complexity of environmental degradation requires an enhanced capacity for scientific
assessment, monitoring and early warning.
At its twenty-second session, held in February 2003, the Governing Council/Global
Ministerial Environment Forum (GC.22/GMEF) decided that further consideration
of this issue was needed, and initiated a consultative process on strengthening
the scientific base of UNEP. The Governing Council invited Governments, intergovernmental
organizations (IGO’s), non-governmental organizations (NGO’s), and
scientific institutions to submit their views on three questions and eight considerations
relating to the assessment of the environment and environmental change and the
work of UNEP and other organizations in this area.
In implementing this decision - referred to as the Science
Initiative -, UNEP’s Executive Director contacted 627 institutions
including 197 Governments, 186 IGOs, 101 NGOs and 143 scientific institutions,
inviting them to provide their views. In order to facilitate the process, an
optional web-based questionnaire was developed to help respondents in making
their submissions, assist in the analysis and synthesis of responses, and in
making the submissions publicly available, as requested in operative paragraph
4 of decision GC.22/1/IA. Organizations and institutions not included in the
invitation process were able to register and participate in this exercise. The
deadline for submissions was 15 September 2003, but 123 submissions received
up to 12 November 2003 were included in the analysis.
Governing Council Decisions
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