The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

HISTORY AND PRSENT STATUS

UNEP was established to coordinate and promote environmental activities in the UN system. Unlike the other Specialised Agencies, UNEP does not have to execute and finance projects as its primary function.

Its objectives are: to improve scientific and technological knowledge of environmental issues and to make that available for environment development and conservation; to develop an integrated approach to the planning and management of development in order to achieve maximum economic, sociological and environmental benefits; and to assist all countries, especially developing countries, to address environmental problems through provision of financing, information, technology and educational assistance.

The new Executive Director of UNEP is Mr Achim Steiner, previously the Director General of the World Conservation Union (IUCN)

OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND COOPERATING ORGANISATIONS

The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism is the National Focal Point for South Africa.

GENERAL COMMENTS

South Africa is actively involved in the activities of UNEP, through the South African Permanent Mission to the UNEP in Nairobi. However, South Africa is a member of the UNEP Governing Council, which is responsible for taking policy decisions and actively participated in the UNEP Governing Council / Global Ministerial Environment Forum which was held in Dubai from 7 to 9 February 2006.

As part of the UN reform process the French President, Jaques Chirac, (who is concerned about the long-term prospects of the fragmented approach to Environmental issues), as a personal initiative proposed to create a Specialised Agency for the Environment (UNEO) as a possible replacement for UNEP.

The process was formally endorsed as a EU proposal in 2005 and aims to:

- maintain the political momentum on environmental issues
- maintain consistency
- strengthen developing countries' capacity on environmental matters.

The French Government proposes that the process should be seen in the context of the "Reform of the UN," that the new body would have greater powers and a more universal membership than UNEP and that the election of the Head of the Organisation would be more "transparent". The French envisage that the Headquarters of a new organisation would remain in Nairobi.

A Specialised Agency focusing on a wide range of environmental issues, has certain advantages, inter alia a larger budget, as a principal body of the UN, it would have greater autonomy within the framework of its governing body and whilst losing some of its current normative responsibilities, would be able to improve on its mandated programme delivery. One of the obstacles for developing countries arising out of the transformation of UNEP into a Specialised Agency, would be the obligation to pay compulsory assessed contributions according to the United Nations Scale of Contributions

SOUTH AFRICA's POSITION

South Africa supports the concept of the strengthening of international Environmental Governance in the same way that we support the UN reform process.

The reform process should, however, not duplicate, supplant or retard the ongoing discussions in the context of Cartagena (the 7th special session of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GC/GMEF) that took place in Cartagena in 2002), that underwrote the strengthening of UNEP and the implementation of the JPOI.

South Africa supports greater coherence on all international as well as multilateral environmental issues and will therefore continue to participate in discussions on Inter-Agency Co-ordination but cognizance must be taken of the possible added financial burden which a new Specialized Agency would have on developing countries. This remains a matter of concern to South Africa as well as to other countries - both developed and developing.

UNEP or any replacement body should remain in Nairobi, Kenya.