The ACP MEAs Programme starts Phase III with an added Scope
Humans are utilizing an estimated 25 per cent more natural resources than the planet can sustain, leading to a rapid loss of biological diversity (biodiversity).
The ACP- MEAs programme is a joint partnership between the European Union, Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, UNEP and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, which aims to build the capacity of 79 countries in Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) to support them fulfil their obligations as parties to the Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), which are legally binding commitments to tackle environmental issues. Through the programme, UNEP supports the ACP countries in translating these legally binding international commitments into action on the ground.
In its decade of implementation, the programme has built a culture of institutionalizing MEAs within the regions by providing support to enhance the capacities of regional intergovernmental institutions, building national policy and legal frameworks and empowering the change-makers. Now in the third phase, the ACP MEAs programme seeks to secure a sustainable future for the 79 African, Caribbean, and the Pacific countries by building national and institutional capacity to implement MEAs.
The third phase of the programme (ACP MEAs III) builds on the achievements and lessons learnt of the previous phases and aims at further enhancing the mainstreaming and implementation of MEAs related to biodiversity and chemicals and waste, enhanced oceans governance and the mainstreaming of biodiversity in agriculture, with a focus on enforcement and compliance. The programme will specifically support ACP countries to address challenges associated with the sound management of chemicals and waste, marine pollution, coastal erosion and loss of biodiversity.
Why does it matter?
Humans are utilizing an estimated 25 per cent more natural resources than the planet can sustain, leading to a rapid loss of biological diversity (biodiversity). Aside from the impact on species and their habitat, loss of biodiversity has a direct and detrimental impact on human health and livelihoods. Chemicals and waste are other key areas that impact human development and livelihoods globally. Without sound management practices, chemicals and waste can pose significant risks to the environment, marine ecosystems and human health, especially vulnerable populations.
As a solution, countries have agreed upon MEAs, global commitments such as Aichi targets, common objectives for the Minamata, Basel, Rotterdam, Stockholm and biological diversity Conventions among others, and more recently, universal goals and targets for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, transforming these commitments into tangible change on the ground remains a challenge as many developing countries face a variety of obstacles, including constraints in human, financial, and technical resources.
Thus, through this programme, we support strengthening local, national and regional institutional capacities in key areas of environmental governance including: • stopping biodiversity loss • enabling the sound management of chemicals and waste • enhancing better management of Oceans and coastal areas • mainstreaming of biodiversity into agriculture
How does it work?
The UNEP has designed the ACP MEAs programme using a holistic approach which adopted an integrated and synergistic regional approach that institutionalize MEAs within the ACP regions to bring long term environmental sustainability at the regional and national levels by focusing on building capacities locally. The current Phase III of the programme aims to strengthen national and institutional capacities in the ACP countries to enforced and comply with MEAs in the Biodiversity, Chemical and Waste clusters, enhance Sea/Oceans governance and mainstream biodiversity into agricultural practices.
For a sustained environmental governance impact, the Programme introduced regional Hubs housed within the African Union Commission, the Caribbean Community Secretariat, and the Secretariat for the Pacific Regional Environment Programme. Collaborative partnerships have also been established with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) and four Regional Sea Conventions in the respective ACP regions who translate the global environmental commitments the ACP countries have acceded to into action on the ground for sustainable environmental management at all levels.
To know more about the latest activities, click here.
For more information about this programme, please read:
- ACP-MEAS III Factsheet
- ACP-MEAS II Factsheet
- Monthly Digests and Quarterly Newsletters
- Operational Note: Enhancing the Role and Impact of Gender Equality in the ACP-MEAs III project
Contact information: Balakrishna.Pisupati[at]un.org
