News

18 Nov 2016

Beirut-Marrakesh

ESCWA and UNEP Sign MoU to Sustain Cooperation

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On 17 November 2016, ESCWA and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the sidelines of the twenty-second session of the annual Conference of the Parties (COP 22), the supreme decision-making body of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change taking place in Marrakech, Morocco between 7 and 18 November 2016. The MoU aims to consolidate, develop, and detail their cooperation and effectiveness to achieve the common objectives concerning internationally agreed environmental commitments, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and in order to better assist the Arab region with coordinated environmental policies and programs.
 
The MoU, signed by ESCWA Executive Secretary Rima Khalaf and UNEP Executive Director Erik Solheim, stipulates that ESCWA and UNEP have agreed to cooperate on the integration of the environmental dimensions of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development into regional processes; on coordination in the organisation of annual preparatory meetings and summits, as well as on supporting the servicing of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment (CAMRE) and others.
 
ESCWA and UNEP have also agreed to undertake joint activities in a number of thematic areas, including environmental governance and capacity building on institutional strengthening; transitioning to an Inclusive Green Economy, Sustainable Consumption and Production; climate change adaptation; Integrated Water Resources Management; and Food-Energy-Water nexus.
 
ESCWA has cooperated with UNEP over several issues, including the regional preparatory processes for Rio +20 (2012), post 2015, and recently in the 2030 agenda, as well as work on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) roundtables, and Sustainable Development Indicators (SDIs) meetings.
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