Once a year, the Civil Society Unit together with all six Regional Offices convenes Regional Consultative Meetings (RCM) to facilitate multi-stakeholder dialogues on issues pertinent to the UN Environment. These consultations will take place in 2016 and 2017 and are considered to be preparatory dialogues in the lead up to the 2017 UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-3) which will convene in December 2017 in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Consultative Meetings, which are often times organized back to back with Environmental Fora or Economic Commissions meetings or other relevant environmental consultations will provide an opportunity for Major Groups and Stakeholders to provide their inputs into the Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum (GMGSF) which will precede the UN Environment Assembly. The meetings also serve as a capacity-building and networking exercise for Major Groups and Stakeholders in the regions as they constitute a platform for Regional Offices to engage with civil society partners.
One of the main outcomes of the Regional Consultative meetings is the compilation of statements and recommendations by Major Groups and Stakeholders for consideration by the United Nations Environment Assembly. Regional priorities, challenges and observations, are integrated into these statements, which will also provide regional perspectives on the Assembly’s theme. The outcome of the dialogues, which is usually in the form of a statement or key messages, will be shared as an informational document with the governing body of UN Environment and Ministers, and discussed at the high-level segment of UNEA-3.
On 2 December, the North America Office convened a stakeholder consultation, “Global Environment Outlook and Pathways to Sustainability,” at the University of Ottawa. The event featured expert panellists who discussed key findings and policy recommendations from the UN Environment’s Global Environment Outlook North American Regional Assessment. It also served to share the latest progress of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and information about the third UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-3) to be held in Nairobi, Kenya in December 2017. Over 60 participants from civil society and government participated in the event. The consultation featured the election of Christian Ledwell of the International Institute for Sustainable Development as one of the two North American Major Groups and Stakeholders Representative. A U.S. Representative will be elected at a consultation to be held in Washington, D.C. on February 9, 2017.
The consultations took place on 9th of February 2017.
Key Messages from North American Major Groups and Stakeholders Regional Consultation
