UNEP GC/GMEF 12th Special Session DeBriefing

The 12th Special Session of the Governing Council / Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GC/GMEF) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was held from 20 to 22 February 2012 at the United Nations Office in Nairobi, Kenya. Over 950 participants, representing more than 100 governments, as well as intergovernmental organizations, members of the civil society, the private sector and scientific bodies, attended the meeting.

The ministerial consultations during the special session focused on emerging policy issues under the overall theme of “The environmental agenda in the changing world: from Stockholm (1972) to Rio (2012)”. In a statement ministers and representative from close to 150 countries described the conference, known as Rio+20 as “a unique opportunity to address the economic, social and environmental challenges in the context of sustainable development”. The statement also underlines the concern of the world’s environment ministers ‘over the continued environmental degradation’ being witnessed across the globe.

The GCSS-12/GMEF concluded its work by adopting various decisions on specific issues ranging from how best to bridge the environmental data gaps in the world and chemicals financing to a Ten Year Programme on Sustainable Consumption and Production.

An overview of the outcomes and the decisions taken at UNEP GC/GMEF, delivered by high-level representatives of UNEP and MEAs was provided on 6 March 2012 at the International Environment House.

Agenda

9h45
Coffee & Tea

10h00   
Welcome and introduction
Jan Dusik, Director and Regional Representative, UNEP

10h10   
UNEP 12th Session of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GC/GMEF)
Jan Dusik, Director and Regional Representative, UNEP
Steven Stone, Chief, Economics and Trade Branch, UNEP
Jiri Hlavacek, Deputy-Director, Division of Regional Cooperation, UNEP
Ron Witt, Regional Coordinator, Division of Early Warning and Assessment, UNEP
and other UNEP and MEAs high-level representatives

11h20
Question-and-answer session

12h00
End

More information

All the documents of the 12th Special Session of the GC/GMEF are available online: www.unep.org/gc/gcss-xii

The IISD Earth Negotiation Bulletin gives a good overview of all the discussions held during the various meetings. The bulletin is availbe online: www.iisd.ca/unepgc/unepss12

https://www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/einvitation_6_march_2012.pdf

https://www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/geneva_gcssxxii-2012.pdf

https://www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/gc_gmef_xii_dewa_for_cow_pg.pdf

https://www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/k1280501.pdf