This position note was published in September 2019 to coincide with the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The UN Environment Management Group consists of members from 51 United Nations entities and works to promote joint action, coherent approaches and synergy on environmental and human settlement issues in the United Nations system.
Since the group’s formation by the General Assembly in 1999, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has provided its secretariat, with UNEP’s executive director holding the position of chair. The Environment Management Group works under three pillars: collaboration on global environmental issues, supporting the Sustainable Development Goals and enhancing United Nations internal environmental and social sustainability.
The annual meeting of the Environment Management Group’s senior officials will be held, as is tradition, in the margins of the General Assembly on 25 September 2019, gathering heads of United Nations entities for a discussion on emerging environmental issues that warrant a collaborative response by the United Nations.
Key ongoing Environment Management Group processes include:
- Coordinating the work of the E-waste Coalition with the purpose to raise awareness, increase knowledge and provide integrated support in reducing, recycling and disposing of e-waste through coordination of the United Nations and its partners
- Supporting the United Nations biodiversity agenda, including contributing to the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets
- Supporting the Coalition to Combat Sand and Dust Storms, which aims to elevate awareness on health, environment and economic impacts of the storms, which cost US$13 billion every year and affect 151 countries
- Working to improve the environmental and social sustainability of the United Nations’ policies, programmes and facilities by coordinating the development of a Sustainability Strategy for the UN system 2020-2030
- Through the Environment Management Group Nexus Dialogues, contributing to a common understanding of the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as of the opportunities which these bring to United Nations agencies
- Providing and further developing the System-wide Framework of Strategies on the Environment as a collaborative platform that compiles and analyses data on the UN system’s work to support Member States in the delivery of 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda
For more information contact: Irene Ngigi
