Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) are pivotal instruments in advancing the environmental dimension of the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs). MEAs provide a framework to address the interconnected global environmental challenges and crises including climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, which threaten ecosystems, human health, economic and social stability and cover one of the six SDG transitionsthat can have a catalytic and multiplier effect across the SDGs. Therefore, it is imperative to mainstream and coherently integrate the relevant MEAs objectives in national sustainable development and planning processes to contribute to a more sustainable and equitable future for all.
Since its inception in 2009, the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) MEA Programme has supported 49 African Countries to domesticate and implement MEAs which in turn contributes to national sustainable development aspirations. The programme has incrementally contributed towards addressing systemic challenges that impair MEA implementation in Africa, including lack of adequate technical capacities for MEA implementation, weak utilization of tools and approaches, incoherent policies hindering cross-sectoral collaborations, and weak rule of law that undermines enforcement efforts amongst others.
A recent internal analysis by UNEP has revealed that biodiversity and pollution commitments are weakly integrated in the Common Country Analyses (CCAs) and United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks (UN-CFs). Integration of the climate action in the UN-CF result matrix (outcomes and outputs) accounted for 60.92%, whereas nature action, and pollution and waste accounted for 36.78% and 2.30%, respectively.
UN Development System Support to Integrate MEAs in CCAs and UN-CFs
Concerted efforts by the entire UN Development System (UNDS) are required to progressively support the mainstreaming of MEAs in UN Country Programming processes. To deliver on the 2030 2 Agenda, UNCTs can leverage the synergies and comparative advantages of MEAs to embed MEA implementation across national sustainable development planning and policy processes, linking these with relevant policy tools and strategies (e.g. National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans; chemicals and waste management and pollution prevention strategies and plans); break siloes across government departments working on different MEAs and sustainable development issues; and offer regional peer learning opportunities to encourage countries to learn from one another to advance on their national priorities, especially in geographical contexts with similar needs.
To support these aspirations, it is crucial to advance coherent narratives at country level, which can account for a UN-wide perspective for the best country support that connects various areas of work of the UNCT. The UN Common Approach to Biodiversity (2021) and Pollution (2022) – can help address this important need, representing a “One-UN” voice that can promote the strategic and coherent inclusion of biodiversity and pollution issues across the work of Regional Coordinators and UNCTs and influence horizontal policy processes as well as vertical integration at country level.
In response to these overarching needs, resolution 6/6, of the UN Environment Assembly tasked the UN Environment Programme to: “facilitate coherent and effective implementation of multilateral environmental agreements at the regional and national levels on a Member State– driven basis, including through the Fifth Montevideo Programme for the Development and Periodic Review of Environmental Law; strengthen cooperation [with] United Nations country teams and encourage the latter to mainstream the objectives of multilateral environmental agreements into their work,” giving UNEP a renewed mandate to promote the mainstreaming and implementation of MEAs across the UN Development System.
The workshop is also in line with the memorandum of understanding between UNEP and the Southern African Development Community Secretariat to support strengthening regional environmental governance in the implementation of MEAs in the SADC region.
