At the UNEA-7 Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) Day, the Global Cities Hub took the floor during the High-Level Ministerial Dialogues on behalf of the Local Authorities Major Group to bring forward an idea which has already emerged before: the need, as for SDGs, for MEAs localization!
We highlighted the benefits of an enhanced dialogue among international, national and local authorities and other stakeholders at UNEA-7.
We brought to the attention of all participants in the MEAs high level debates, the strong agreement: a whole-of-government approach, embedded in a robust multilateral and multilevel framework, is essential for implementation of all MEAs.
We mentioned some best practices, such as:
- Local and regional governments’ participation in the BRS Conventions, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Barcelona Convention is increasingly prominent
- The Aarhus Convention allows local and regional governments to submit to the compliance body
- The UNFCCC COP’s Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LMGA) Constituency is very active and cooperates with Member States, such as Brazil on Beat the Heat
- Local and regional governments’ inclusion in Zero Waste initiatives, led by Member States
- Local and regional governments from Maldives, Brazil, USA, Pakistan, Spain and elsewhere clearly showcased their action on the grounds on MEAs implementation during the Cities and Regions Summit at the margin of UNEA-7.
The GCH suggested therefore an innovative idea to facilitate multilevel dialogue on MEAs implementation, based on the UN Forum of Mayors, held annually in Geneva. A similar annual gathering, focused on the localization of MEAs, can bring together mayors, local representatives, MEAs Secretariats and UNEP to advance localization and implementation of Environmental Agreements. Geneva, with its international multilateral ecosystem, including UNEP offices and MEAs Secretariats HQs, would be an ideal place to ensure that the local, national and international levels interact with each other.
Win-win cooperation across all levels of government in every Member State is not merely desirable, it is essential to ensure full and effective implementation of MEAs.
Read the full statements:
- Local Authorities Major Group Intervention: MEAs Dialogue 1: Signed, Sealed, Delivered? Turbocharging MEA implementation through whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches.
- Local Authorities Major Group Intervention: MEAs Dialogue 2: Keeping the Promise – Boosting SDG implementation through the MEAs.
Watch the webcasts of the interventions:
- MEAs Dialogue 1: Signed, Sealed, Delivered? Turbocharging MEA implementation through whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches. – intervention starts at 02:28:00.
- MEAs Dialogue 2: Keeping the Promise – Boosting SDG implementation through the MEAs. – intervention starts at 01:32:00.
Photo: UNEP/Kiara Worth