Environment and human settlements

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tion of the Convention on International Trade in En- dangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, as World Wildlife Day.

UN-Habitat continued to support the implementation of the 1996 Habitat Agenda and the Millen- nium Development Goals. The twenty-fourth session of the UN-Habitat Governing Council, held in April, adopted 15 resolutions addressing issues related to housing and urban development, and one decision.

By a December resolution, the General Assembly des- ignated 31 October as World Cities Day beginning in 2014.

Environment

UN Environment Programme Governing Council/Ministerial Forum

The twenty-seventh and first universal session of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environ- ment Forum (gc/gmef) of the United Nations En- vironment Programme (unep) was held in Nairobi from 18 to 22 February [A/68/25]. Ministerial-level consultations (18–20 February) focused on emerging policy issues under the overarching theme of “Rio+20:

from outcomes to implementation” and their indis- soluble link to the strengthening and upgrading of unep as a central piece of the environmental dimension of sustainable development. On 18 February, the gc/gmef agreed that it would use its applicable rules of procedure and applicable rules and practices of the General Assembly, pending the adoption of new rules of procedure consistent with its newly established universal membership [A/68/25 (dec. 27/1)]. The unep Ex- ecutive Director delivered a policy statement, which was summarized in the report of the proceedings of the session [UNEP/GC.27/17]. Annexed thereto was a summary of the views expressed during the ministerial consultations on each topic, as presented by the President of the Council/Forum on 20 February.

On the same date, the gc/gmef decided to hold its next session in Nairobi on dates to be decided and requested the Committee of Permanent Representa- tives to contribute to the preparation of the provisional agenda for that session [dec. 27/15].

The Committee of the Whole, established by the Council/Forum, held 11 meetings to consider the agenda items assigned to it.

In 2013, the United Nations and the international community continued to work towards protecting the environment and improving living conditions for people residing in cities through legally binding in- struments, as well as other commitments and activities of the United Nations Environment Programme (unep) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).

The twenty-seventh session, which was also the first universal session of the unep Governing Coun- cil/Global Ministerial Environment Forum, was held in February and focused on emerging policy issues in the context of the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) and the role of unep in sustainable development. In addition, the first session of the plenary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosys- tem Services met in Bonn, Germany, in January.

The tenth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests, convened in April, focused on forests and economic development, interconnections with the international arrangement on forests, the outcome of Rio+20, and the post-2015 development agenda.

In March, the secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification convened a high-level meeting on national drought policy. The eleventh session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, held in September, adopted 40 decisions and one resolution, including the Namib Declaration on a stronger United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification for a Land-Degradation Neutral World.

The eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Par- ties to the Basel Convention on the Control of Trans- boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, held in April and May, adopted 26 decisions.

The Conference of the Parties to the United Na- tions Framework Convention on Climate Change, at its nineteenth session held in November, agreed to further advance the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action towards achieving a global agreement in 2015.

It invited all parties to initiate or intensify domestic preparations for their nationally determined contributions, and resolved to enhance ambition in the pre- 2020 period by urging developed country parties to increase technology, finance and capacity-building support to enable increased mitigation ambition by developing country parties.

The General Assembly, by a December resolution, decided to proclaim 3 March, the day of the adop-

Environment and human settlements

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Ministerial consultations

Implementation of paragraph 88 of the outcome document of Rio+20

The Council/Forum [dec. 27/2] decided to implement paragraph 88 (f) of the outcome document and requested the Executive Director to enhance the opera- tionalization of the Bali Strategic Plan for Technology Support and Capacity-building. It stressed the need to implement the provisions of paragraph 88 (b) by 2016 and requested the Executive Director to report thereon.

The Council/Forum also recommended that the Gov- erning Council of unep be renamed the United Na- tions Environment Assembly. Annexed thereto was a draft resolution for adoption by the General Assembly on the change of designation.

Sustainable consumption and production

The Council/Forum had before it a report ^[UNEP/

GC.27/5] by the unep Executive Director on progress in the implementation of a 2012 Governing Council decision [YUN 2012, p. 998] summarizing achievements in sustainable consumption and production—a core component of Agenda 21 [YUN 1992, p. 672]. Progress had been achieved through numerous initiatives and partnerships, including the Marrakech Process, as called for in the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg Plan of Implementation) [YUN 2002, p. 821]. The report also outlined progress of work relating to the adoption of the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production patterns; support for the development and implementation of unep resource efficiency and sustainable consumption and production subprogramme; support for the implementation of multilateral agreements that focused on sustainable consumption and production plans; efforts of Government, private sector and other stakeholders to shift to sustainable consumption and production in sectors with high environmental and social impact;

and unep activities and lessons learned on the topic.

The Council/Forum had before it a discussion paper [UNEP/GC.27/16/Add.1] by the unep Executive Director highlighting opportunities and challenges related to developing a new generation of policy- relevant sustainable development goals that fully integrated environmental sustainability.

On 22 February [dec. 27/7], the Council/Forum requested the Executive Director to take the necessary action to enable unep to serve as the secretariat for the 10-year framework of programmes and to carry out its functions pursuant to the framework. The Executive Director was further requested to elaborate a proposal on the duration of the subsequent terms of the board of the framework after it served its initial two-year term, for the consideration of the General Assembly at its sixty-ninth (2014) session.

The Council/Forum had before it a report [UNEP/

GC.27/15 & Add.1] by the unep Executive Director con- taining progress reports mandated by the gc/gmef at previous sessions. The report provided information on the implementation of decision 26/14 [YUN 2011, p. 972] on the Global Environment Monitoring Sys- tem/Water Programme, pursuant to paragraph 5 of the decision; outcomes of the ninth meeting of the international Advisory Group on Environmental Emergencies, pursuant to paragraph 9 of decision 26/15 [ibid., p. 973]; contribution of unep to promoting South-South cooperation, pursuant to paragraph 7 of decision 26/16 [ibid.]; work of the Environment Man- agement Group, pursuant to paragraph 4 of decision SS.XII/2 [YUN 2012, p. 998]; and mid-term progress in the implementation of the long-term strategy on the engagement and involvement of young people in environmental issues, pursuant to paragraph 7 of decision 25/6 [YUN 2009, p. 1012].

On 24 July (decision 2013/236), the Economic and Social Council took note of the gc/gmef report on its first universal session.

The General Assembly took note of the report in resolution 68/215 of 20 December (see p. 992).

Election. In February [A/68/770], the Secretary- General informed the General Assembly of his in- tention to nominate Achim Steiner for re-election as Executive Director of unep for a two-year term beginning on 15 June 2014 and ending on 14 June 2016.

Subsidiary body

The twenty-seventh (2013) session of the Council/

Forum had before it a January note [UNEP/GC.27/INF/4]

by the unep Executive Director on the work of the Committee of Permanent Representatives—open to representatives of all UN Member States and members of specialized agencies—since the twenty-sixth (2011) gc/gmef session [YUN 2011, p. 970].

In 2013, the Committee held a regular meeting on 27 September [UNEP/CPR/125/2] and discussed, among other subjects, preparations for the first session of the United Nations Environment Assembly in 2014.

The Council/Forum decided to establish a sub- committee of the Committee of Permanent Repre- sentatives that would meet annually to review the medium-term strategy and programme of work and budget, and to oversee their implementation and accountability by the secretariat. At its first annual meeting (Nairobi, 23–27 September), the subcom- mittee discussed, among other subjects, the half- yearly review of the progress on the implementation of the programme of work and budget for 2012–2013, including the implementation of decisions adopted by the governing body; the proposed strategic framework for 2016–2017; stakeholder engagement; progress on the consolidation of headquarter functions in Nai- robi; and administrative and budgetary matters.

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highlighted the findings of the fifth Global Environ- ment Outlook (geo) report, which stated that international environmental and development goals had only been partially achieved. The fifth geo report stated that the pressure on biodiversity continued to increase. Habitat loss and environmental degradation as a result of agricultural and infrastructural development, overexploitation, pollution and invasive alien species remained predominant threats. Some progress had been made with policy responses. The adoption of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020

[YUN 2010, p. 1023], including the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and the acceptance of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Eq- uitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utiliza- tion [YUN 2010, p. 1022] also provided an opportunity to stop and reverse the decline of biodiversity.

The Council/Forum also had before it a note

[UNEP/GC.27/INF/16] by the unep Executive Director on progress made in operationalizing the Intergovern- mental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services [YUN 2012, p. 998], including the outcome of the second session of the plenary meeting to determine modalities and institutional arrangements for an intergovernmental science-policy platform on biodiversity and ecosystem services.

The Council/Forum [dec. 27/4] requested the Ex- ecutive Director to enter into a partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (unesco), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (fao) and the United Nations Development Programme (undp), and authorized the Executive Director to finalize a host country agreement with Germany for the presence of the Platform secretariat in Bonn.

In December [A/68/438/Add.6], the Second (Eco- nomic and Financial) Committee transmitted to the General Assembly its report on sustainable development regarding the Convention on Biological Diversity, recommending to the Assembly the adoption of the draft resolution on implementation of the Convention.

Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. The first session of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (ipbes) [IPBES/1/12] took place in Bonn, Germany, from 21 to 26 January. The session discussed the rules and procedures for the operations of the Plat- form’s plenary; the initial work programme of the Platform; institutional arrangements; and financial and budgetary arrangements. The session had before it documents on those and related issues [IPBES/1/3, IPBES/1/INF/2/Rev.1, IPBES/1/4, IPBES/1/2, IPBES/1/INF/8, IPBES/1/INF/9, IPBES/1/INF/10, IPBES/1/INF/14, IPBES/1/5, IPBES/1/INF/7 & Rev.1, IPBES/1/6, IPBES/1/10]. On 26 Jan- uary, the plenary adopted decisions on the rules of pro- Green economy

The Council/Forum had before it a background note [UNEP/GC.27/INF/19] on an inclusive and equita- ble green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication, which examined the needs for capacity development, knowledge-sharing and alternatives for catalysing finance to support those countries wishing to adopt green economy policies.

The Council/Forum [dec. 27/8] acknowledged that there were different approaches and tools to achieve sustainable development and requested the Executive Director to collect and disseminate such initiatives and practices, and to facilitate information-sharing among countries. It also invited countries to implement green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication.

Universal membership

The Council/Forum had before it a discussion paper [UNEP/GC.27/16] by the unep Executive Director on universal membership of unep. The paper covered science-policy interface; responsiveness to country needs; secure, adequate and increased financial resources to fulfil the mandate of unep; stakeholder participation; and future ministerial engagement. The paper also discussed increasing unep financial resources from both the regular budget and voluntary contributions. Regarding future ministerial engagement, the Governing Council would need to decide on future arrangements of the Global Ministerial Environment Forum, as mandated by the General Assembly in resolution 67/213 [YUN 2012, p. 1000]. By decision 27/2 (see p. 987), however, the Governing Council decided to discontinue the Global Environmental Forum.

Programme areas

International water quality guidelines for ecosystems The Council/Forum [dec. 27/3], recalling decision 26/14 [YUN 2011, p. 972] on revitalizing the Global Environment Monitoring System/Water Programme, requested the Executive Director, in partnership with Governments, scientific institutions, UN agencies and other relevant stakeholders, particularly those from developing countries, to develop international water quality guidelines for ecosystems that might be voluntarily used to support the development of national stand- ards and policies. It invited Governments and others in a position to do so, including the private sector, to technically and financially support the process for the development of international quality guidelines.

Biodiversity and ecosystem services

GC.27/3] by the unep Executive Director on the state of the environment and contribution of unep to meeting substantive environmental challenges. The report

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isting commitments to protect and restore the health and resilience of oceans and marine ecosystems; to maintain their biodiversity, enabling their conserva- tion and sustainable use; and to effectively apply an ecosystem approach in the management of activities impacting the marine environment. It requested the Executive Director to further encourage and promote the work of unep on oceans, and to incorporate the work of the existing regional seas conventions and action plans into the wider framework of the medium- term strategy for 2014–2017.

International environmental governance

The Council/Forum had before it a report ^[UNEP/

GC.27/6] by the unep Executive Director that contained a summary of the institutional linkage between unep and relevant multilateral environmental agreements and updates on accountability and financial issues and administrative arrangements.

Also before it was a report [UNEP/GC.27/13] by the unep Executive Director on justice, governance and law for environmental sustainability, which provided information about recent developments related to the rule of law, in particular environmental law, including activities of the General Assembly, the outcome of Rio+20 and the outcome of the World Congress on Justice, Governance and Law for Environmental Sustainability, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2012.

The Council/Forum [dec. 27/9] took note of the report.

On 25 July (resolution 2013/40), the Economic and Social Council requested the United Nations Of- fice on Drugs and Crime (unodc), in consultation with Member States and in cooperation with other international organizations, such as unep, to under- take case studies that focused on organized crime networks involved in the illicit trafficking of specific protected species of wild fauna and flora, their parts and derivatives.

Climate Technology Centre and Network

GC.27/12] by the unep Executive Director, which provided background information on the United Na- tions Framework Convention on Climate Change (unfccc) decision 14/CP.18 of the Conference of the Parties to unfccc on arrangements to make the Climate Technology Centre and Network fully operational. The Conference of the Parties selected unep as host of the Centre for an initial term of five years, with possible renewal if so decided by the Conference of the Parties at its twenty-third (2017) session. It also established the Advisory Board of the Centre and adopted the memorandum of understanding between the Con- ference of the Parties and unep regarding the hosting of the Centre. The Council/Forum reiterated that the Advisory Board of the Centre would put in place the cedure for the plenary of the Platform, next steps for

the development of the initial ipbes work programme, administrative and institutional arrangements and the status of contributions and initial budget for the Plat- form for 2013.

The second session of ipbes [IPBES/2/17] took place in Antalya, Turkey, from 9 to 14 December. The session discussed the Platform’s work programme for 2014–2018; the Platform’s financial and budgetary arrangements; rules and procedures; communica- tions and stakeholder engagement; and institutional arrangements. The session had before it documents on those and related issues [IPBES/2/2 & Add.1, IP- BES/2/3–15, IPBES/2/16 & Add.1–8, IPBES/2/INF/1 & Add.1, IPBES/2/INF/3–10, IPBES/2/INF/13]. The plenary adopted nine decisions referred to as the “Antalya Consensus”.

UN system coordination and cooperation

The Council/Forum [dec. 27/5] urged [YUN 1998, p. 981] to identify opportunities for strengthening collaboration at the country level between resident co- ordinators and non-resident agencies in follow up to General Assembly resolution 67/226 [YUN 2012, p. 859]

on the quadrennial comprehensive policy review of operational activities for the development of the UN system, with a view to the mainstreaming of environmental considerations at the country level. The Council/Forum requested the Executive Director, in his capacity as Chair of emg, to develop system- wide strategies on the environment; to invite the UN Secretary-General and Chief Executives Board to facilitate ownership in the United Nations at all levels;

and to provide a progress report on the Group’s work to the unep governing body at its next session.

Environment Management Group. The Coun- cil/Forum had before it a report [UNEP/GC.27/12] by the unep Executive Director on the Climate Technol- ogy Centre and Network (see below).

UNEP/UN-Habitat cooperation. The joint pro- gress report of the Executive Directors of unep and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN- Habitat) [UNEP/GC.27/INF/18] provided an overview of the cooperation between the two Programmes in the 2011–2012 period. Cooperation was strengthened by a joint implementation plan focusing on the issues of cities and climate change, and resource efficiency. The report also set forth their planned cooperation in the subsequent biennium, which would focuse on the fi- nalization of the Partnership Framework 2008–2013 and the development of a new Partnership Framework beginning in 2014. The Programmes planned to un- dertake an independent evaluation of the impact of their collaboration over the past five years.

Oceans

The Council/Forum [dec. 27/6] urged countries to take the necessary steps to implement relevant and ex-

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science-policy interface through assessments, building on the Global Environment Outlook; and implement the next phase of UNEP-Live during 2014–2015.

Chemicals and waste

Waste management. The Council/Forum had before it a report [UNEP/GC.27/4] by the unep Executive Director on chemicals and waste management, which provided information on the implementation of Gov- erning Council decisions 25/5 [YUN 2009, p. 1034] and 26/3 [YUN 2011, p. 972] on the topic. The report summarized the activities carried out by unep on lead and cadmium; on mercury; and on waste management, including management of electric and electronic waste.

The Council/Forum [dec. 27/12] requested the Ex- ecutive Director to review existing efforts of unep on waste, to develop a Programme-wide waste strategy to prioritize its work and to make recommendations on existing and future areas of unep work on wastes.

The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to prepare a global legally binding instrument on mercury held its fifth and final session (Geneva, 13–18 January)

[UNEP(DTIE)/Hg/INC.5/7]. Among the documents before it were the Chair’s text [UNEP(DTIE)/Hg/INC.5/3]; draft elements of the final act prepared by the secretariat for adoption at the anticipated diplomatic conference at which the mercury instrument was to be opened for signature [UNEP(DTIE)/Hg/INC.5/6]; proposed mercury air emissions thresholds [UNEP(DTIE)/Hg/INC.5/4]; information relevant to such thresholds submitted by Governments [UNEP(DTIE)/Hg/INC.5/INF/1]; and an analysis of the extent to which the provisions of the draft mercury instrument reflected the content of Arti- cle 20 of the draft text [UNEP(DTIE)/Hg/INC.5/5]. Dur- ing the session, there was general agreement among representatives that the mercury instrument needed to be robust, yet comprehensive enough to ensure the support of all parties in achieving its aims. The Com- mittee agreed that the secretariat would prepare draft elements of the final act to be adopted at the diplomatic conference.

Financing options. The Council/Forum ^[dec.

27/12] took note of the proposal [UNEP/GC.27/7] by the Executive Director for making operational an integrated approach on financing the management of chemicals and waste. It requested the Executive Director to submit the evaluation, including recommendations, within six years for consideration by the governing body of unep, the relevant conferences of the parties and the International Conference on Chemicals Management at its fifth session.

Cooperation and coordination. The Council/

Forum had before it a report [UNEP/GC.27/8] by the Ex- ecutive Director on progress in the implementation of Governing Council decisions 26/12 [YUN 2011, p. 972]

and SS.XII/5 [YUN 2012, p. 997] on enhancing cooperation and coordination within the chemicals and wastes rules and procedures to monitor, assess and evaluate

the timeliness and appropriateness of the responses of the Centre to requests by developing country Parties.

The Council/Forum [dec. 27/10] authorized the Executive Director to provide the necessary arrangements for the operation of the Centre, subject to the availability of resources and in accordance with decisions of the Conference of the Parties to unfccc, and to sign the memorandum of understanding with the unfccc Executive Secretary. The Council/Forum requested the Executive Director to make the necessary arrangements for the first meeting of the Advisory Board of the Centre.

State of the environment

GC.27/3] by the unep Executive Director on the state of the environment and contribution of unep to meeting substantive environmental challenges. The report summarized the key scientific and policy issues that needed to be brought to the attention of gc/gmef at its twenty-seventh session and of policymakers. The issues were drawn from the assessments conducted over the past two years in response to the unep mandate of keeping the world environmental situation under review. The report highlighted the findings of the fifth geo report, GEO-5: Global Environment Outlook: Environment for the future we want, and provided a summary of recent developments in rela- tion to unep-Live, the Eye on Earth initiative and the Programme of Research on Climate Change Vulner- ability, Impacts and Adaptation.

The Council/Forum had before it a note ^[UNEP/

GC.27/INF/10] by the unep Executive Director on progress made on the development of unep-Live—a web- based platform for promoting access to environmental information—and the proposal for its continued development and use through the next medium-term strategy period, 2014–2017. The initial prototype presented at the twelfth special session of the Council/Forum

[YUN 2012, p. 999] had continued to be populated and improved, and the note proposed further phases of development. The note stated that partnerships would continue to provide a crucial pathway for the delivery of environmental assessments and would become in- creasingly important as the emphasis shifted towards developing national capacity for environmental assessment and reporting. Furthermore, the Executive Director highlighted the activities associated with unep-Live that aimed to empower countries to better assess and report on the state of their environment.

The Council/Forum [dec. 27/11] requested the Ex- ecutive Director to review best practices and develop a set of transparent procedures to support a wide range of unep environmental assessments to ensure highest quality and maximum impact; continue work at the national, regional and global levels to promote the

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Trust funds

The Executive Director submitted a report on the management of trust funds and earmarked contributions [UNEP/GC.27/11 & Rev.1]. As at 31 October, there were 97 active unep-administered trust funds. For the 2010–2011 biennium, actual expenditure amounted to $734.3 million, of which $162.6 million related to funds directly supporting the unep programme of work, $192.3 million to conventions, protocols and regional sea programmes, and $379.3 million to special accounts and trust funds. For the 2012–2013 biennium, total estimated expenditures of $777.4 million included $157 million related to funds directly supporting the unep programme of work, $186.3 million to conventions, protocols and regional seas programmes, and $434.1 million to special accounts and trust funds. The projected expenditures for the 2014–2015 biennium amounted to $663.3 million, of which $109.5 million related to funds directly supporting the unep programme of work, $186.3 million to conventions, protocols and regional seas programmes and $367.5 million to special accounts and trust funds. Total earmarked expenditure was $112 million for the 2010–2011 biennium, an increase of

$12.2 million over the previous biennium. Expen- ditures in terms of earmarked contributions for the 2012–2013 and 2014–2015 bienniums in support of the unep programme of work were estimated at $84.9 million and $92.5 million, respectively.

The Council/Forum [dec. 27/14], having considered the report of the Executive Director, approved the establishment of eight technical cooperation trust funds since its twenty-sixth (2011) session, and the extension of five general and 11 technical cooperation trust funds, all in support of the unep work programme.

It also approved the establishment of one trust fund since its twenty-sixth session and the extension of 21 general and three technical cooperation trust funds, all in support of regional seas programmes, conventions, protocols and special funds.

Additional reports

Other reports by the Executive Director submitted to the Council/Forum for its twenty-seventh session concerned resolutions adopted by the Gen- eral Assembly at its sixty-seventh session of relevance to unep [UNEP/GC.27/INF/3]; the work of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to unep

[UNEP/GC.27/INF/4]; regional consultations with major and stakeholders [UNEP/GC.27/INF/5]; status of the En- vironment Fund and other sources of unep funding

[UNEP/GC.27/INF/6]; progress made on the Eye on Earth process [UNEP/GC.27/INF/11]; the Programme of Re- search on Climate Change Vulnerability, Impacts and Adaptation [UNEP/GC.27/INF/12 & Add.1]; responsible resource management for a sustainable world: findings by the International Resource Panel [UNEP/GC.27/INF/13]; cluster. The Council/Forum [dec. 27/12] noted the pro-

gress made and the activities carried out by the Execu- tive Director in the implementation of those decisions, and requested the Executive Director to continue to support an inclusive consultative process on options for enhancing cooperation in the chemicals and wastes cluster in the long term.

Governance, work programme and budget Programme of work and budget for 2014–2015 and medium-term strategy for 2014–2017

The Executive Director submitted for the consideration of the Council/Forum a report [UNEP/GC.27/10 &

Add.1, 2] on the proposed biennial programme of work and budget for 2014–2015, which set out unep objectives for the biennium, expected accomplishments, indicators of achievement, performance measures, out- puts and resource requirements. It also described work programme requirements and management. The report included seven subprogramme narratives: climate change; disasters and conflicts; ecosystem management; environmental governance; chemicals and waste;

resource efficiency; and environment under review.

The Council/Forum also had before it a report

[UNEP/GC.27/9 & Add.1] that outlined the emerging issues to be taken into consideration in the 2014–2017 medium-term strategy, reviewed the programmatic and operational achievements of the 2010–2013 medium-term strategy, and identified lessons learned.

The medium-term strategy was articulated around the support that unep provided to interested partners to assist them in understanding the concept of the green economy and its role in sustainable development and poverty eradication across all unep focus areas, with the aim of integrating environmental considerations into all economic and social agendas.

The Council/Forum also had before it reports by the Executive Director on the progress made in respect of each of the subprogrammes and their relevant expected accomplishments and on the budget of the unep En- vironment Fund, including voluntary contributions, expenditures, reallocations of appropriations and ad- justments of allocations [UNEP/GC.27/INF/6/Add.1]; proposed revisions to the financial rules and the general procedures of the Fund of unep [UNEP/GC.27/14/Rev.1]; and the relationship between unep and multilateral environmental agreements [UNEP/GC.27/INF/20].

The Council/Forum [dec. 27/13], having considered the medium-term strategy for 2014–2017, the programme of work and budget for 2014–2015 and the related report of the Advisory Commit- tee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions

[UNEP/GC.27/10/Add.1], approved the medium-term strategy and the programme of work and appropriations for the Environment Fund in the amount of

$245 million.

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lished the United Nations Environment Programme, and other relevant resolutions that reinforce its mandate, as well as the 1997 Nairobi Declaration on the Role and Mandate of the United Nations Environment Programme of 7 February 1997, the Malmö Ministerial Declaration of 31 May 2000 and the Nusa Dua Declaration of 26 February 2010,

Reaffirming also its commitment to strengthening the role of the United Nations Environment Programme as the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment,

Recalling its resolution 67/213 of 21 December 2012 on the report of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme on its twelfth special session and the implementation of section IV.C, entitled “Environmen- tal pillar in the context of sustainable development”, of the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development,

Recalling also its resolution 67/251 of 13 March 2013 on the change of the designation of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme,

Reaffirming the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and its principles,

Taking into account Agenda 21 and the Plan of Imple- mentation of the World Summit on Sustainable Develop- ment (Johannesburg Plan of Implementation),

Recalling the 2005 World Summit Outcome,

Recalling also the Bali Strategic Plan for Technology Sup- port and Capacity-building,

Committed to strengthening international environmen- tal governance within the context of the institutional framework for sustainable development in order to promote a bal- anced integration of the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development as well as coordination within the United Nations system,

Committed also to enhancing the voice of the United Na- tions Environment Programme and its ability to fulfil its coordination mandate within the United Nations system by strengthening its engagement in key United Nations coordination bodies and empowering it to lead efforts to formulate United Nations system-wide strategies on the environment,

Recalling the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, held from 20 to 22 June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, entitled “The future we want”, in which the General Assembly was invited to adopt, at its sixty-seventh session, a resolution strengthening and upgrading the United Nations Environment Pro- gramme in the manner outlined in paragraph 88, subpara- graphs (a) to (h), of the outcome document,

Reiterating the need for secure, stable, adequate and predictable financial resources for the United Nations Environment Programme, and in accordance with resolution 2997(XXVII) underlining the need to consider the adequate reflection of all the administrative and management costs of the Programme in the context of the United Nations regular budget,

1. Welcomes the convening of the first universal session of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum of the United Nations Environment Programme in Nairobi from 18 to 22 February 2013;

Global Mercury Assessment 2013: Sources, Emissions, Re- leases and Environmental Transport [UNEP/GC.27/INF/14]; partnerships and contributions relating to South-South cooperation [UNEP/GC.27/INF/15]; establishment of the International Ecosystem Management Partner- ship [UNEP/GC.27/INF/17]; and progress made over the 2011–2012 biennium in strengthening the cooperation between unep and UN-Habitat [UNEP/GC.27/INF/18].

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION

On 13 March [meeting 67], the General Assembly adopted resolution 67/251 [draft: A/67/784] without vote [agenda item 20 (g)].

Change of the designation of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolution 2997(XXVII) of 15 Decem- ber 1972 on institutional and financial arrangements for international environmental cooperation, by which it established the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme,

Recalling also its resolution 67/213 of 21 December 2012 on the report of the Governing Council of the United Na- tions Environment Programme on its twelfth special session and on the implementation of section IV.C, entitled

“Environmental pillar in the context of sustainable development”, of the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development,

1. Takes note of Governing Council decision 27/2 of 22 February 2013, by which the Governing Council invited the General Assembly to adopt a resolution to change its designation to the United Nations Environment Assembly of the United Nations Environment Programme, it be- ing understood that this change of designation in no way changes, nor will change, the present mandate, aims and purposes of the United Nations Environment Programme or the role and functions of its governing body;

2. Decides to change the designation of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme to the United Nations Environment Assembly of the United Nations Environment Programme.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION

On 20 December [meeting 71], the General Assem- bly, on the recommendation of the Second Commit- tee [A/68/438/Add.7], adopted resolution 68/215 with- out vote [agenda item 19 (g)].

Report of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme on its first universal session and the implementation

of section IV.C, entitled “Environmental pillar in the context of sustainable development”, of the outcome document of the United Nations

Conference on Sustainable Development The General Assembly,

Reaffirming the mandate contained in its resolution 2997(XXVII) of 15 December 1972, by which it estab-

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social science information and gender-sensitive indicators to review gender-environment links and guide policy actions towards gender equality;

12. Reiterates the importance of the Nairobi head- quarters location of the United Nations Environment Pro- gramme, and requests the Secretary-General to keep the resource needs of the Programme and the United Nations Office at Nairobi under review so as to permit the delivery, in an effective manner, of necessary services to the Pro- gramme and to the other United Nations organizations and entities in Nairobi;

13. Notes the commitment of the governing body of the United Nations Environment Programme to progres- sively consolidate headquarters functions of the Programme in Nairobi and, in this context, of the request of the governing body of the Programme to the Executive Director to present a report to the governing body at its next session and to include recommendations in the programme of work for the period 2016–2017 to be acted upon and implemented in a timely manner, and also takes note of the decision of the governing body of the Programme to strengthen the Programme’s regional presence in order to assist countries in the implementation of their national environmental programmes, policies and plans and, in this regard, of the requests of the governing body of the Programme to the Ex- ecutive Director to increase the Programme’s participation in United Nations country teams;

14. Also notes the continued support of the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme for the full and effective participation of representatives of developing countries in the United Nations Environment Assembly of the Programme, and welcomes the commitment of the United Nations Environment Assembly in this regard;

15. Reiterates that capacity-building and technology support to developing countries in environment-related fields are important components of the work of the United Nations Environment Programme, and in this regard calls for the continued and focused implementation of the Bali Strategic Plan for Technology Support and Capacity- building, adopted by the Programme;

16. Recalls the decision contained in paragraph 88 (b) of the outcome document of the United Nations Confer- ence on Sustainable Development, endorsed by the General Assembly in its resolution 66/288, that the United Nations Environment Programme have secure, stable, adequate and increased financial resources from the regular budget of the United Nations and voluntary contributions to fulfil the mandate of the Programme;

17. Notes the inclusion by the Secretary-General in the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2014–2015 of regular budget resources for the revised programme of work of the United Nations Environment Programme, and requests the Secretary-General to maintain the resource needs of the Programme under review;

18. Urges donors, and other stakeholders in a position to do so, to increase voluntary funding to the United Na- tions Environment Programme, including to the Environ- ment Fund;

19. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its sixty-ninth session, under the item entitled “Sustainable development”, a sub-item entitled “Report of the United Nations Environment Assembly of the United Nations En- vironment Programme”.

2. Takes note of the report of the Governing Coun- cil/Global Ministerial Environment Forum and the decisions contained therein;

3. Looks forward to the first session of the United Na- tions Environment Assembly of the United Nations Envi- ronment Programme, to be held in June 2014;

4. Takes note of decision 27/2 of 22 February 2013, adopted by the Governing Council at its first universal session, on the implementation of paragraph 88 of the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, as endorsed by the General Assembly in its resolution 66/288 of 27 July 2012;

5. Welcomes the request of the Governing Council to the Executive Director of the United Nations Environ- ment Programme to continue the current emphasis on the achievement of results for the achievement of programme objectives;

6. Takes note of decision 27/13 of 22 February 2013, adopted by the Governing Council at its first universal session, on the proposed medium-term strategy for the period 2014–2017 and biennial programme of work and budget for 2014–2015;

7. Also takes note of the ongoing discussions at the United Nations Environment Assembly on its rules of procedure;

8. Welcomes the continued support of the United Na- tions Environment Programme to the United Nations system in the integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of all major United Nations conferences and summits in the economic, social, environmental and related fields;

9. Also welcomes the establishment of the 10-member board of the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production patterns, and recalls the decision that the United Nations Environment Programme would serve as the secretariat of the 10-year framework;

10. Reiterates the continuing need for the United Nations Environment Programme to conduct up-to-date, comprehensive, scientifically based and policy-relevant global environmental assessments, in close consultation with Member States, in order to support decision-making processes at all levels;

11. Takes note of decision 27/11 of 22 February 2013, adopted by the Governing Council at its first universal session, on the state of the environment and contribution of the United Nations Environment Programme to meeting substantive environmental challenges, and in this regard welcomes:

(a) The Governing Council’s request to the Executive Director to strengthen the policy relevance of the Global Environment Outlook reports, and the Governing Coun- cil’s request to the Executive Director related to the objectives, scope and process for the next Global Environment Outlook assessment;

(b) Inputs by the Programme, as the leading global environmental authority, on the environmental dimension of sustainable development, including in the elaboration of the post-2015 development agenda, as well as in discussions on the scope and modalities of a global sustainable development report;

(c) The proposal in the programme of work for 2014–

2015 for a gender and environment outlook that would use

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quality of monitoring and evaluation systems within the gef partnership. It included coverage of 160 com- pleted projects, which was the largest single cohort in a reporting year, in part reflecting a maturing gef portfolio. Projects in the apr 2013 accounted for

$630.8 million in gef funding. The report concluded that 79 per cent of projects and 71 per cent of funding in projects had outcome ratings in the satisfactory range; 58 per cent of projects had sustainability of outcomes ratings of moderately likely or above, similar to the long-term average; and quality of implementation and execution ratings had remained stable over the long term. There had been a substantial increase in the ratio of promised and realized co-financing over the past eight apr cohorts. The report also presented findings from the gef Independent Evaluation Of- fice’s work on project cycle.

In its report [FCCC/CP/2013/3 & Add.1, 2] to the nineteenth session (2013) of the Conference of the Parties to unfccc (see p. 995), gef described its responses to the guidance provided by the Conference at its eighteenth (2012) session [YUN 2012, p. 1003] and its achievements between 2012 and 2013, focusing on climate change mitigation and adaptation, technology transfer, enabling activities and capacity-building, and results-based management. Gef initiatives during the reporting period also included negotiations to replenish the gef trust fund, a process to develop a long-term strategy for the gef, efforts to achieve synergies across gef focal areas and trust funds, and private sector engagement.

International conventions and mechanisms In response to resolutions 67/210 [YUN 2012, p. 1003], 67/211 [ibid., p. 1009] and 67/212 [ibid., p. 1006], the Secretary-General, in an August note ^[A/68/260], transmitted reports submitted by the secretariats of the United Nations Framework Convention on Cli- mate Change (see p. 995); the United Nations Con- vention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa (see p. 995); and the Conven- tion on Biological Diversity (see below)—collectively known as the “Rio Conventions”.

Joint Liaison Group. The twelfth meeting of the Joint Liaison Group of the Rio Conventions (Bonn, Germany, 22 January) discussed activities undertaken by the Group; the Rio Conventions Pavilion; lines of cooperation within the Group; and the post-2015 development agenda. The Group committed to un- dertake efforts to seek better communication and coordination among the three secretariats and to have greater impact at the national level. The Group agreed to further engage in the organization of the Rio Con- ventions Pavilion, while enhancing efforts to gather financial support from donors.

Other matters

Cooperation with UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation

The General Assembly, in resolution 68/73 of 11 December (see p. 575), requested unep to continue to strengthen support for the work of the United Na- tions Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Ra- diation and for the dissemination of its findings to the Assembly, the scientific community and the public. The Assembly encouraged unep to continue to strengthen the Committee’s funding, and Member States to make voluntary contributions to the unep general trust fund established to support the Committee’s work.

UNEP Year Book

The UNEP Year Book 2013: Emerging Issues in Our Global Environment provided information on inter- national environmental events and developments in 2012–2013, including the United Nations Confer- ence on Sustainable Development [YUN 2012, p. 780], and focused on rapid change in the Arctic and mini- mizing chemical risks. The Year Book also reported on the increase in rhinoceros and elephant poaching in Africa, growing urban environmental challenges and the accelerating momentum to tackle short-lived climate pollutants. A chapter on key indicators presented data and trends illustrating progress towards environmental sustainability.

Global Environment Facility

The Global Environmental Facility (gef) united 183 member Governments in partnership with international institutions, non-governmental organizations (ngos) and the private sector to address environmental issues. The gef partnership comprised, among others, unep, undp, the World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (fao), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the African Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Re- construction and Development, the Inter-American Development Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. Gef served as the financial mechanism for the 1992 Convention on Bio- logical Diversity [YUN 1992, p. 683], the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (unfccc) [ibid., p. 681], the 1994 United Nations Con- vention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa (unccd) [YUN 1994, p. 944], and the 2001 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Or- ganic Pollutants [YUN 2001, p. 971].

The gef Annual Performance Report (^apr) 2013 provided an overview of the performance of gef activities, key factors affecting performance, and the