The United Nations Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GMEF) ended on Wednesday with a clear commitment to sustainable economics and to a fundamental reform of UNorganisational structures. Federal Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen, who gave the keynote speech on UN environmental reform on Wednesday, stressed: “The long overdue restructuring of national economies worldwide towards a green economy will only succeed if we restructure the United Nations in the field of environment.
The discussions in Nairobi showed that it is now only a question of agreeing on ‘how’ to structure this reform, not ‘whether’ the reform is needed. I am convinced that only a UN Environment Organisation with the same status as the World Health Organisation can help the concept of sustainable economics achieve a global breakthrough.”
This year’s session of the UNEP Governing Council, which took place at the same time as the Global Ministerial Environment Forum in Nairobi from 20 to 24 February 2011, took decisions on issues including chemicals and waste management, biodiversity and sustainable consumption and production.
The results of the discussions on UN environmental reform will be incorporated into preparations for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (‘Rio plus 20’ in Rio de Janeiro in May 2012). The conference will focus on the topics of green economy and the reform of UN organisational structures in the areas of environmental protection and sustainable development.
