Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07USUNNEWYORK483
2007-06-14 22:22:00
UNCLASSIFIED
USUN New York
Cable title:
UN ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE REFORM PLAN: AMBITIOUS
how-toVZCZCXRO5816 RR RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD DE RUCNDT #0483/01 1652222 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 142222Z JUN 07 FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2076 INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 0618 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2738
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000483
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
NAIROBI FOR USREP UNEP
STATE FOR IO/EDA, OES/ENV
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV UNGA
SUBJECT: UN ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE REFORM PLAN: AMBITIOUS
INCREMENTALISM
REF: SNOWDEN-TUMINARO E-MAIL 6/14/07
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000483
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
NAIROBI FOR USREP UNEP
STATE FOR IO/EDA, OES/ENV
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV UNGA
SUBJECT: UN ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE REFORM PLAN: AMBITIOUS
INCREMENTALISM
REF: SNOWDEN-TUMINARO E-MAIL 6/14/07
1. This is an action request - please see para 8.
--------------
Summary
--------------
2. The two co-chairs of a UN environmental governance reform
process released an Options Paper June 14 offering their
summary of states' views on micro- and macro-reform, and
recommending further action. The co-chairs urge the General
Assembly in its 62nd session this fall to approve a number of
reforms that can be achieved within existing mandates and
without structural reform, and to begin negotiations in the
63rd GA on those reforms that would alter existing
architecture. The co-chairs term their approach "ambitious
incrementalism." Responses to the Options Paper are
requested in July ahead of a plenary meeting slated for
September. End summary.
--------------
Options and Action Plan
--------------
3. Flowing from the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document's call
for exploring the possibility of improving international
environmental governance, the General Assembly President in
January 2006 appointed two Co-Chairs to lead an Informal
Consultative Process on the Institutional Framework for the
UN's Environmental Activities. The current co-chairs, Swiss
PermRep Peter Maurer and Mexican PR Claude Heller,
distributed on June 14 the "Co-Chairs' Options Paper" that
summarizes the views of member states and plots out an
aggressive agenda for taking action on the reform proposals.
(Note: USUN forwarded the Options Paper to IO by e-mail.)
4. The Options Paper contains two preamble sections providing
a scenesetter introduction and description of the current
system of international environmental governance (IEG). The
bulk of the Options Paper is Section III, which lists
suggestions for improving the current system within existing
mandates and without a complete overhaul of the IEG
architecture. These suggestions are divided among seven
"building blocks" or thematic clusters (e.g., scientific
assessment, coordination, capacity-building, partnerships,
financing). The co-chairs' recommendation at the end of
Section III is that the 62nd General Assembly convening this
fall take action to institute or give political backing to
agreed elements among the seven building blocks.
5. Section IV of the Options Paper is devoted to
farther-reaching proposals seeking radical restructuring of
the IEG architecture and mandates, and for which there remain
divergent viewpoints. The co-chairs propose continuing
informal consultations on this aspect of reform, but also
urge the 62nd GA to agree on terms of reference for formal
negotiations on these transformational reforms that should
begin during the 63rd GA.
6. The co-chairs urged delegations to study the Options Paper
carefully, and encouraged them to solicit reactions from both
their national governments and their domestic NGO community.
The co-chairs invited responses in July, and plan to hold a
plenary meeting in September prior to the start of the 62nd
GA.
--------------
Merging UN Reform Tracks
--------------
7. Anticipating questions as to how this reform process will
relate to that of the High-Level Panel on System-wide
Coherence (HLP),the co-chairs stated that their process
would complement the other, but remains a separate track from
the HLP consultations being chaired by Barbados and
Luxembourg. After the meeting, a Barbados rep informed
select delegates informally that a brief meeting on the HLP's
environment-related findings will likely be scheduled in July
in New York (unfortunately, when many delegates are in Geneva
for ECOSOC negotiations) at which it is hoped and expected
that states will agree that the Swiss/Mexican-chaired process
shall be the sole venue for environmental governance reform
discussions.
--------------
Action Request
USUN NEW Y 00000483 002 OF 002
--------------
8. Mission requests the Department's reaction to the Options
Paper for use during the month of July.
KHALILZAD
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
NAIROBI FOR USREP UNEP
STATE FOR IO/EDA, OES/ENV
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV UNGA
SUBJECT: UN ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE REFORM PLAN: AMBITIOUS
INCREMENTALISM
REF: SNOWDEN-TUMINARO E-MAIL 6/14/07
1. This is an action request - please see para 8.
--------------
Summary
--------------
2. The two co-chairs of a UN environmental governance reform
process released an Options Paper June 14 offering their
summary of states' views on micro- and macro-reform, and
recommending further action. The co-chairs urge the General
Assembly in its 62nd session this fall to approve a number of
reforms that can be achieved within existing mandates and
without structural reform, and to begin negotiations in the
63rd GA on those reforms that would alter existing
architecture. The co-chairs term their approach "ambitious
incrementalism." Responses to the Options Paper are
requested in July ahead of a plenary meeting slated for
September. End summary.
--------------
Options and Action Plan
--------------
3. Flowing from the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document's call
for exploring the possibility of improving international
environmental governance, the General Assembly President in
January 2006 appointed two Co-Chairs to lead an Informal
Consultative Process on the Institutional Framework for the
UN's Environmental Activities. The current co-chairs, Swiss
PermRep Peter Maurer and Mexican PR Claude Heller,
distributed on June 14 the "Co-Chairs' Options Paper" that
summarizes the views of member states and plots out an
aggressive agenda for taking action on the reform proposals.
(Note: USUN forwarded the Options Paper to IO by e-mail.)
4. The Options Paper contains two preamble sections providing
a scenesetter introduction and description of the current
system of international environmental governance (IEG). The
bulk of the Options Paper is Section III, which lists
suggestions for improving the current system within existing
mandates and without a complete overhaul of the IEG
architecture. These suggestions are divided among seven
"building blocks" or thematic clusters (e.g., scientific
assessment, coordination, capacity-building, partnerships,
financing). The co-chairs' recommendation at the end of
Section III is that the 62nd General Assembly convening this
fall take action to institute or give political backing to
agreed elements among the seven building blocks.
5. Section IV of the Options Paper is devoted to
farther-reaching proposals seeking radical restructuring of
the IEG architecture and mandates, and for which there remain
divergent viewpoints. The co-chairs propose continuing
informal consultations on this aspect of reform, but also
urge the 62nd GA to agree on terms of reference for formal
negotiations on these transformational reforms that should
begin during the 63rd GA.
6. The co-chairs urged delegations to study the Options Paper
carefully, and encouraged them to solicit reactions from both
their national governments and their domestic NGO community.
The co-chairs invited responses in July, and plan to hold a
plenary meeting in September prior to the start of the 62nd
GA.
--------------
Merging UN Reform Tracks
--------------
7. Anticipating questions as to how this reform process will
relate to that of the High-Level Panel on System-wide
Coherence (HLP),the co-chairs stated that their process
would complement the other, but remains a separate track from
the HLP consultations being chaired by Barbados and
Luxembourg. After the meeting, a Barbados rep informed
select delegates informally that a brief meeting on the HLP's
environment-related findings will likely be scheduled in July
in New York (unfortunately, when many delegates are in Geneva
for ECOSOC negotiations) at which it is hoped and expected
that states will agree that the Swiss/Mexican-chaired process
shall be the sole venue for environmental governance reform
discussions.
--------------
Action Request
USUN NEW Y 00000483 002 OF 002
--------------
8. Mission requests the Department's reaction to the Options
Paper for use during the month of July.
KHALILZAD