Publications

The Common Approach to Pollution is the UN system’s shared framework for bringing together the different mandates and expertise of UN organizations to prevent and reduce pollution in a more coordinated way.

This report shows how the UN system tackles challenges presented by global plastic pollution, coordinating action to address it holistically and through action on the ground. Over 40 UN entities are supporting the Member States in reducing and addressing marine litter and microplastics.

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.

The report signals the importance of sound chemicals management to the broader sustainable development agenda, showcases what has already been accomplished, and indicates how the UN system can further assist Member States in achieving sound chemicals management in the context of sustainable development.

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.

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.