The second United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-2) will give Major Groups and Stakeholders the unique opportunity to come together prior to UNEA and to actively engage with the two-day Global Major Groups and Stakeholder Forum 2016 (GMGSF 2016). GMGSF 2016 will take place on May 21 and 22 at the UN compound in Nairobi, Kenya and it will mobilize Major Groups and other Stakeholders to engage in a multi-stakeholders setting that will also include policymakers, learning from each other, developing partnerships and creating their input into UNEA-2.
INTRODUCTIONUNEA-2 will be held from 23 to 27 May 2016 under the overarching theme of Delivering on the Environmental Dimension of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. On May 26 and 27, a Ministerial Policy-Review Session will gather to discuss Healthy Environment, Healthy People. The United Nations Environment Assembly is not only the highest authority on the Environment within the United Nations. It is also an ideal platform for bringing together different stakeholders: Governments, Major Groups, Science and the private sector that need to work together to tackle the shared and unprecedented challenges the world is facing and deliver on the environmental dimensions of sustainable development. While governments are pivotal in strengthening the policies and regulatory frameworks that realizes the 2030 Agenda, Major Groups and Stakeholders (MGS) have a critical role in supporting the decision making process at UNEA 2, by engaging with government, sharing their expert knowledge and by ensuring that the voice of those who might be effected by decisions taken, is heard. Furthermore, Major Groups and Stakeholders are partners of UNEP and governing in implementing most of the decisions taken at UNEA.
Building on the existing strategic partnerships with and among Major Groups and Stakeholders, the Global Major Groups and Stakeholder Forum 2016 aims at facilitating the preparations of Major Groups and Stakeholders towards the Second United Nations Environmental Assembly, allowing them to discuss the main UNEA themes in a multi-stakeholder setting and to prepare their input to UNEA 2. Furthermore the Forum aims at initiating a climate that fosters multi-stakeholder partnerships and cooperation. The Forum is self-organized by Major Groups and Stakeholders, with the assistance of UNEP.
Furthermore, the forum will – in good tradition – provide an opportunity for an open exchange with the Executive Director of UNEP, Mr. Achim Steiner, and possibly also with his successor.
PARTICIPATIONParticipation in the GMGSF 2016 is open of representatives of Major Groups organizations accredited to UNEP, non accredited organizations, member states and representatives of international organizations.
Note that registration for participation in the GMGSF does not include registration for UNEA itself. For that you need to kindly register under:www.unep.org/unea. Non-accredited MGS organizations may not participate in UNEA itself, but in parallel events, such as the Sustainable Innovation Forum, if they received an invitation.
EXPECTED OUTCOMEGMGSF 2016 will be an excellent opportunity for Major Groups and Stakeholder to network and to develop new partnerships. I will also be an opportunity to give input into those UNEA discussions and decisions that are still not finalized, to highlight emerging issues and to ensure that “the voice of the voiceless” is heard in the intergovernmental process at UNE2.
