From 14-16 June 2011, UNEP is hosting a 2nd Steering Committee Meeting for the MEA IKM initiative in Glion, Switzerland (where the GEG Forum 2009 took place). An early result of the meeting was the launch of the first project within the initiative: InforMEA – the United Nations Information Portal on Multilateral Environmental Agreements.

InforMEA is a webportal that allows for accurate and timely data availability in a cost effective way, by displaying information drawn directly from MEA Secretariat websites and databases in one central location. It helps MEA secretariats to get an easy overview of what other important actors are doing in their field, so that synergies are created and similar efforts can be coordinated. The project also benefits Parties to the various MEAs and the environment community at large, since it is easier to find news, calendars, decisions and resolutions from different treaty meetings, country specific membership information, and much more.

The InforMEA website can be visited at www.informea.org. Participating MEAs come from the issue areas Biodiversity; Chemicals and Waste Management; Climate, Atmosphere and Deserts. See the full list.

Read more about InforMEA in the UNEP Press release.

Presenters in the event, including GEG Forum Participant Satishkumar Belliethathan, shared information on the implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) in Ethiopia and helped participants assess the level of effectiveness to date of the International Environmental Governance (IEG) system. The Forum’s main outcomes were greater awareness on environmental governance issues and enhanced support for coordination and implementation of MEAs in Ethiopia.

Ideas on broader IEG reform were solicited from Ethiopian civil society organizations. This was a step towards more effective participation of Ethiopian civil society in intergovernmental processes and global negotiations. Many expressed interest to stay involved and to actively participate in the process leading to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio 2012.

Use this link to view the powerpoint presentation 1st National IEG Forum Ethiopia – Satishkumar Belliethathan.

The consultation meeting was convened in light of the need for Nepal to take on a holistic approach in the work with environmental issues. As a landlocked mountainous country, Nepal is vulnerable to climate change and already experiencing its effects. Nepal is also rich in biodiversity, but many species are threatened and the forest coverage is rapidly declining and depleted due to overexploitation. The participants recognized that Nepal’s local environmental problems must be addressed while increasing the understanding of regional and global complexities.

The event started with a plenary address by Mr. Anil Chitrakar, Ashoka Fellow, Mr. Bimal Regmi from DFID, Dr. Pradhan from FMIS Trust and Mr. Binod from Ministry of Environment. Three parallell workshops aimed at building the capacity of major environmental stakeholders in Nepal to support good governance by reinforcing and improving the existing environmental legislation. The consultation meeting also collected input from the Nepali civil society to the ongoing UNEP process for International Environmental Governance Reform.

According to lead event organizer Bala Raju Nikku, Head of the Nepal School of Social Work, the consultation meeting was a great success both in terms of numbers and quality of discussion. Bala Raju Nikku took the opportunity to share with participants some insights gained from the GEG Forum in Glion which he attended in 2009 as one of thirteen selected Emerging Leaders. One of his personal committments was to form and facilitate a national network of young environmental leaders in Nepal and encourage broader thinking that leads to social change through innovation.

Many of the young participants in the consultation meeting expressed motivation to stay involved in the Global Environmental Governance debate. The next steps will be to design and implement a training course on Global Environmental Governance for Bachelor level students, continue the work nationally and also link up with other international networks to work together on issues of leadership and environmental concern.

Information about the event from the organizers in Nepal:

Description of the 9 September event in Nepal

Concept Paper GEG Event in Nepal.

The meeting was organized as a half-day “working breakfast” by the Argentinian Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (FARN), in collaboration with Asociación Civil Red Ambiental and the Panamanian Asociación Nacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza. The event was led by FARN Executive Director María Eugenia Di Paola, one of the Emerging Leaders in the 2009 Glion Forum who committed to organizing a conference on global environmental governance for the public sector and academic leaders in Argentina.

María Eugenia Di Paola offered insights into her experience at the Glion Forum, and the latest GEG Project documentary “Quest for Leadership” was shown. Cecilia Iglesias, President of Red Ambiental and civil society representative of Latin America and the Caribbean at the 25th UNEP Governing Council gave a presentation explaining current structures for International Environmental Governance and mentioned that special opportunitites for the region exist in the framework of Rio+20.

The roundtable dialogue included representatives from various sectors, including spokespeople and opinion leaders from academia, the public sector, the private sector, international organizations, and civil society. Participants were invited to speak about the common problems faced, identify their root causes, and present innovative proposals to be implemented at the local, national, and international levels. The participants’ interventions were auspicious and varied, but several common issues arose and the following needs were identified:

• Link and expand the concept of environmental law to the right of sustainability
• Link local and international analyses and initiatives
• Formalize channels for civil society participation in order to increase it
• Deepen academic and practical analysis of United Nations governance and participation models and propose changes to make it more representative
• Expand the concert of civil society organizations workng on environmental governance issues, to include those focused on human rights, gender, and other related issues
• Improve the relationship between environmental organizations and key sectors, such as labor and trade unions.

A detailed summary of the event can be downloaded here in English or in Spanish:

Conclusions Dialogue GEG Buenos Aires (English)

Conclusiones Diálogo 11 de Agosto