The Civil Society Unit of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) supports civil society engagement towards shaping environmental policies, ensuring their voices resonate loud and clear in UN meeting rooms.
For the UN Civil Society Conference organized by the Department of Global Communications on 9 and 10 May in Nairobi, the Civil Society Unit rallied UNEP-accredited organizations to register so they can actively participate and represent the voices of civil society globally.
The UN Civil Society Conference will promote inclusivity, impact, and innovation in preparation for the Summit of the Future to take place later this year at UN Headquarters in New York.
It fosters multi-stakeholder “ImPACT Coalitions” for action and aims to redefine civil society engagement with intergovernmental processes, demonstrating intergenerational cooperation and solidarity while showcasing diverse expertise.
Contribution to UNEA-6
In the run-up to the sixth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-6), the Civil Society Unit collaborated closely with civil society and amplified the voices of major groups and stakeholders in environmental policymaking.
Regional consultations and a global online consultation among civil society laid the groundwork for constructive engagement. Civil society's influence in shaping environmental policies was evident at the second Youth Environment Assembly, which resulted in the Global Youth Declaration on Environment.
The Civil Society Unit also supported the active participation of civil society in the UNEA negotiations, contributing valuable inputs to the draft resolutions.
The Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum, organized before UNEA-6, provided a platform where civil society agreed on priorities and input to UNEA-6 from diverse stakeholder groups.
In addition, the Civil Society Unit helped organize a multi-stakeholder dialogue with ministers at UNEA-6's high-level segment, as well as about 40 civil society side events taking place in the “Green Room”.
The strong engagement of the Civil Society Unit, which is in the UNEP Governance Affairs Office, manifests its commitment to ensuring meaningful participation of major groups and stakeholders across UNEP projects and programmes and, in international environmental fora, in shaping environmental policies and engaging actors who implement these policies at the grassroots level.
