The development of UNEP’s Medium-Term Strategy (MTS) for the period 2026-2029 and the 2026-2027 Programme of Work (PoW) comes at a pivotal time for the global community.
This strategy will be the last one before the 2030 deadline for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), making it a critical opportunity to intensify efforts towards the environmental dimension of sustainable development.
The new strategy, set to be approved at the Seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) in December 2025, will guide UNEP’s strategic direction and play a pivotal role in shaping the global environmental agenda. While building on the strong foundation of the current strategy, it will also respond to emerging challenges. The next MTS will be designed to be concise and easily understood, ensuring it is both accessible and engaging for all stakeholders.
The roadmap for the development of the MTS and PoW that was endorsed at the 167th meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives can be found here.
Decision 6/7 requested UNEP to prepare the new MTS and a POW for its first two biennium, through inclusive and regular consultation with Member States and relevant stakeholders. In this context, UNEP is facilitating a series of informal and inclusive dialogues with Member States, Major Groups and Stakeholders, Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), and the Private sector and the inputs from these are informing the development of the strategy.
UNEP organized four informal virtual dialogue sessions with Member States to explore their aspirations for UNEP and its upcoming MTS 2026-2029. The sessions brought together a diverse group of 128 participants from 65 countries, representing both Nairobi-based missions and representatives from capitals, ensuring broad engagement. Through open, collaborative discussions, the sessions gathered insights, priorities, and innovative ideas from Member States that will inform the development of UNEP’s next MTS. The Synthesis report of Informal Member States Dialogue on the Development of UNEPs MTS 2026-2029 is available here.
Additional CPR subcommittee meetings will be scheduled as needed.
For more information, please contact unep-ppd-strategicplanningunit@un.org.
