Chief Executives Board

The United Nations System Chief Executives Board (CEB) for Coordination - formerly the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) - is the forum which furthers coordination and cooperation on the whole range of substantive and management issues facing the United Nations system. Chaired by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the CEB meets twice annually. It is composed of the Executive Heads of United Nations system organizations and is assisted by two high level committees, the High Level Committee on Programmes (HLCP) and the High Level Committee on Management (HLCM).

The UNEP NYO undertakes substantive preparation for, and supports the participation of UNEP’s Executive Director in, the meetings of the CEB, so as to ensure that environmental issues receive adequate attention. The NYO Director is UNEP’s focal point for all matters related to the CEB. The UNEP NYO also represents UNEP at meetings of HLCP, the inter-agency mechanism which advises CEB on policy, programme and operational matters of system-wide importance and fosters inter-agency cooperation and coordination on these matters on behalf of CEB. Within HLCP, the NYO Office works to ensure effective inter-agency coordination in the field of the environment. The Office also provides substantive reports and policy analysis to UNEP Headquarters on the outcomes of these meetings, including the required follow-up for inter-agency initiatives.

CEB Web site

Environmental Management Group

The Environmental Management Group (EMG) was established to enhance UN system-wide inter-agency coordination related to specific issues in the field of environment and human settlements. It is a central outcome of the endorsement by the General Assembly, in resolution 53/242, of a comprehensive series of measures designed to enhance coherent and coordinated action within the UN system in these areas, as recommended by the Secretary-General in his report on Environment and Human Settlements (A/53/463).

EMG adopts a problem solving, issue-management approach, to enable the formulation of effective, coherent and coordinated UN system responses to specific environment and human settlements challenges. EMG was designed as a flexible mechanism, only meeting when required to facilitate a timely approach to addressing emerging issues and integrate knowledge available in the UN system. EMG’s terms of reference, which were endorsed by the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) at its Spring session in 1999, were agreed upon following a process of consultation, in which the New York Office played a central role, carried out through the ACC’s Inter-Agency Committee on Sustainable Development (IACSD) and UNEP’s Committee of Permanent Representatives in Nairobi........... more.

Executive Committees

The establishment of UN Executive Committees was an important component of the reform process launched by the Secretary-General in 1997. They comprise the four principal sectoral areas of the Organization's work -- Peace and Security, Economic and Social Affairs, Development Operations and Humanitarian Affairs, (see listing of Executive Committee members). The Executive Committees were established to sharpen the contribution that each unit makes to the overall objectives of the Organization by reducing duplication of effort and facilitating greater complementarity and coherence. The Executive Committees are designed as instruments of policy development, decision-making and management. The heads of UN entities consult with one another on work programmes as well as other substantive and administrative matters of collective concern, to identify and exploit ways of pooling resources and services so as to maximize programme impact and minimize administrative costs and more generally to facilitate joint strategic planning and decision-making.

UNEP is a core member of the Executive Committee on Economic and Social Affairs (EC-ESA) , which works to provide strategic direction and ensure complementarity in the work of the various UN entities involved in the economic and social areas. In April 2003, as recommended by the UNEP Governing Council in its decision GCSS VII/1 on international environmental governance , UNEP became a member of the United Nations Development Group (UNDG) , which brings together the operational agencies of the UN in the economic and social fields, in order to inject the environmental dimension into that committee’s policy discussions. UNEP is also a member of the Executive Committee on Humanitarian Affairs (EC-HA). UNEP’s New York Office often represents the Executive Director in meetings of the Executive Committees.

Collaborative Initiatives

UNEP develops and maintains strong partnerships with other UN agencies, working on a range of substantive collaborative initiatives, drawing on the comparative advantages and unique perspectives of different parts of the UN system. The New York Office maintains continuous contacts with UN environmental focal points on programme activities, and helps to strengthen collaboration with various agencies. The Office also undertakes effective and regular liaison with relevant UN Departments and Offices, including the Executive Offices of the Secretary-General and the Office of the Deputy Secretary-General.

A substantive programmatic area that the New York Office has focussed on over the last couple of years is environmental health, and specifically, children’s environmental health....... more

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