Development Account Projects
Strengthening national institutional capacities for mainstreaming multilateral environmental agreements into national poverty reduction strategies
Background:
In 2005, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment reported that 15 of the 24 critical ecosystem services it used were in decline and concluded that this decline in ecosystem services would prevent many developing countries from achieving the Millennium Development Goals. A recent review by UNDP revealed that a majority of the Millennium Development Goal plans developed by countries showed a poor record of integrating the issue of the environment in their strategies. However, one dimension that offers a potentially strong entry point for mainstreaming the environment lies with the multilateral environmental agreements, which are in essence legally binding instruments agreed to by countries. There is an opportunity to reap a double dividend: improving the environmental record and contributing to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, in particular in relation to the reduction of extreme poverty.
This project is aimed at building the knowledge base of selected developing countries on the links between ecosystem services, which falls under the multilateral environmental agreements and the Millennium Development Goals, and ways and means of developing instruments that will enable the mainstreaming of the multilateral environmental agreements in Millennium Development Goal and poverty reduction strategies. The project will be executed by UNEP, in collaboration with UNDP, the United Nations University, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), ASEAN, and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development.
Objective:
To strengthen capacity at the national and local levels on mainstreaming multilateral environmental agreement objectives into Millennium Development Goals and national poverty reduction strategies.
Expected accomplishments:
- Improved capacities at the national level in mainstreaming MEA and/or environmental obligations within national sustainable development plans and poverty reduction strategies.
- Improved understanding of policy makers who are involved in the implementation of MEA and/or environmental objectives and poverty reduction strategies on the links among ecosystem services, natural capital, economic development and human development, and their importance for achieving the MEA and/or environmental obligations.
- Improved awareness of policy makers on the MA and its recommendations for effective environmental and development policy making, and their capacities to integrate them into actual policy making processes.
Implementation status:
This project began implementation in 2008. UNEP and other implementation entities will begin revising and adapting existing training modules on integrated assessments and the development of mainstreaming instruments within national sustainable development plans and poverty reduction strategies taking into account local socio-economic, political and cultural conditions. This activity, along with forming a national network of experts to share and learn from each other’s experience, is expected to have started in the first half of 2008. The organizing of two training workshops for staff from environment ministry, planning ministry, academics, and NGO’s among others in Sudan and Laos, to enhance their capacities in mainstreaming MEA and/or environmental obligations into broader development frameworks is planned for the fourth month of 2008 and will recommence towards the end of 2009. In late 2008 continuing into 2009, UNEP will also undertake case studies whereby a learning by doing exercise is carried out in integrated assessment and the development of mainstreaming instruments.
