The Common Approach to Biodiversity is the UN system’s shared framework for making biodiversity a consideration across the work of the whole UN system, with each organization contributing through its own mandate. The Common Approach was endorsed in 2021 by the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination and developed through the High-level Committee on Programmes.
This report highlights the relevance of biodiversity to the work of UN entities and its multiple benefits across the SDGs, human development, health and food security, human rights, and to global efforts to achieve poverty eradication, gender equality, climate resilience, chemicals management, sustainable economies and intergenerational equity. It stresses the need to urgently step up to the challenges of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation, which is being exacerbated by climate change, by working together in partnership with Member States, civil society and the private sector, and taking actions that place people, nature and climate at the heart of our sustainable development efforts.
This document presents key elements of a proposed Model Approach to Environmental and Social Standards for UN programming The Model Approach represents a key step in moving towards a common approach among UN entities for addressing environmental and social standards in programming.
In 2012, Members of the UN Environment Management Group prepared a Framework for Advancing Environmental and Social Sustainability in the UN system at the policy, program and operational levels. This Interim Guide serves as a basic tool to help the UN entities to start implementing the Framework. Its specific objectives are to raise awareness about environmental and social sustainability measures that can be adopted at the individual entity level, and to sensitize staff about the implications of and options for applying them.
This flyer provides a quick picture of the report prepared by the UN Environment Management Group (EMG) on UN System contribution to the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity which was submitted to the 11th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
The Environmental and Social Sustainability Framework strives to carry the United Nations system beyond the typical safeguard measures of “do no harm” to identify ways to “do good”. In the spirit of One United Nations, the Framework takes a holistic view of the organization’s work from policy conception through programme implementation and internal operations management, providing a broader base of knowledge for smart decision-making. The initiative looks to build on the internationally agreed sustainability norms and principles by adapting the best practices of environmental and social assessment procedures and management systems to United Nations System activities.
This report is designed to start a discussion about how the UN might adapt to a changing environment and help to lead the world in sustainable development.
This report presents why biodiversity matters to sectors, and how the different policy sectors can help maintain biodiversity and ecosystem services. A joint statement by the UN system serves to illustrate that opportunities for improved mainstreaming exist, and that public institutions, such as the UN, can help set the framework conditions for actions by the private sector, households and individuals to act.The report was made available as an information document for the COP of the CBD in Nagoya in 2010.
Peer reviewing refers to one or more of the agencies reviewing the environmental performance of fellow agencies’ facilities and internal operations. This brochure describes a typical peer review process, its benefits and peer reviewing experience to date.