GEG Reform

Earlier reforms addressed the symptoms, more than the causes, of our shortcomings. It is now time to reach for deeper, more fundamental change. -Kofi Annan, 7 March 2006

The inherently global nature of many current environmental challenges necessitates an effective global response. The Global Environmental Governance (GEG) system suffers from structural shortcomings and has not addressed effectively the environmental problems that threaten our planet. While the number of institutions, policies, and programs charged with stewardship of the global commons has risen dramatically over the last thirty years, the state of the global environment continues to show negative trends and increasing risks. Fragmentation, lack of coordination, insufficient funding, North-South imbalance, and management problems have led to a weak and inefficient system. The need for meaningful reform is critical and widely recognized.

The core disagreements about global environmental governance reform have moved from the need for reform to the structure of any new institutions likely to emerge as a result of this reform. Feasibility remains the most contentious concern in international environmental governance reform. All reform options (as well as the option of maintaining the status quo) have been criticized for being either too ambitious and therefore infeasible or too limited and therefore irrelevant.

Regardless of the perspectives and positions of academics and other non-state observers, the outcome of the current reform debate will ultimately be a result of the discussions and negotiations between participating state delegations. The positions brought forth by state delegations during these discussions will guide the direction of the reform process and dictate which proposals will remain open to consideration and implementation.

Reform Initiatives

• High Level Panel on System-Wide Coherence
• Informal Consultations on International Environmental Governance
• Transforming the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) into a United Nations Environment Organization (UNEO)

Additional Resources

• Center for UN Reform Education, Environmental Governance
• Chatham House Workshop on Internation Environmental Governance, July 2007
  
• Ieg-Dossier, Stakeholder Forum
  
• Ecologic, UNEP Reform
  
• Reform the UN, Environment
  
• Europa, EU Speaking Points - Environmental Reform
  

“The current popularity of discussion about governance has its genesis in the fact that our traditional institutions have kept pace neither with the changing world around us nor with the expectations of citizens .. The project of the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy seeks to make an important contribution to the discussion.”
– Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Executive Director, UNEP (1992-1997)

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