Multidisciplinary Expert Scientific Advisory Group (MESAG)

The Multidisciplinary Expert Scientific Advisory Group (MESAG) will play a critical role in providing guidance to UNEP’s Executive Director, authors and experts on the scientific credibility of the GEO process. To perform these important functions, the MESAG will meet regularly through conference calls and face-to-face meetings to develop recommendations to help move the process forward.  It is, therefore, essential to establish the membership of the MESAG based on nominations from Member States, members of specialised agencies, UNEP-accredited Major Groups and Stakeholders, other specialized scientific institutions and groups of assessment experts.

The MESAG comprises 30 members selected by the Executive Director, with the advice of the Intergovernmental and Multi-stakeholder Advisory Group and based on the criteria outlined below, ensuring disciplinary and gender balance and balanced geographical representation across the five United Nations regions. The MESAG had their first face-to-face meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, from 14-16 March 2023.

Responsibilities of the Multi-disciplinary Expert Scientific Advisory Group(MESAG) and selection process to support the preparation of the seventh edition of the Global Environment Outlook (GEO-7)

1. The Advisory Group is responsible for presiding over expert meetings, providing scientific oversight, selecting experts, and representing the Global Environment Outlook process. It will comprise 25 to 30 members and be composed to ensure disciplinary and gender balance as well as balanced geographical representation across the five United Nations regions while taking into account the guidance set out below.

The following guidelines should be taken into account in nominating and selecting the members of the multidisciplinary expert scientific advisory groups':

1. Ability to carry out the functions set out in paragraph 1 above;
2. Scientific, environmental expertise with regard to both natural and social sciences;
3. Scientific, technical or policy expertise and knowledge of the main elements of the work of the Global Environment Outlook process;
4. Experience in communicating science, promoting it, and incorporating it into policy development processes;
5. Ability to both lead and work in international scientific and policy processes;
6. Ability to communicate science and scientific findings to multiple stakeholders, including youth.

MESAG Membership List