Issues Management

1
Issues Management

• International Conference on Synergies and
  Coordination between Multilateral Environmental
  Agreements
• UN University
• 14-16 July 1999
• Brett M. Orlando
• IUCN-The World Conservation Union

2
Overview

• What is Issues Management (IM)?
• How has it evolved?
• The Role of MEAs and Civil Society
• Example Climate Change

3
Towards the 21st Century

• A packed environmental agenda
• Overlap in the system
• An increasing number of actors (e.g. MEA
  processes, NGOs, the private sectors, etc.)
• IM proposed as a way to address an increasing
  complex and diverse international system

4
What is Issues Management?

• Mechanism to promote more cooperative management
  of environmental issues
• Planning framework and priority setting thru Task
  Forces of UN agencies
• Results-oriented approach
• A dynamic, not static, concept

5
Evolution of the Concept

• UNCED Working Parties
• Inter-agency Committee on Sustainable Development
• Identifies policy issues, gaps and constraints
• Ensures a division on labor
• Task Managers have lead responsibility with
  support from other agencies
• IM represents a further evolution towards
  improving the rationality, flexibility, and
  cost-effectiveness of the system

6
MEAs and Civil Society

• How would it apply to MEAs?
• Memorandums of Understanding (CBD-Ramsar,
  Desertification-CBD, etc.)
• Information exchange (e.g. between the
  Biodiversity-related Conventions)
• Joint work programs (e.g. inland waters,
  Ramsar-CBD)

7
MEAs and Civil Society

• How would it apply to civil society?
• CSD Dialogue Sessions
• Convention constituencies (UNFCCC, CBD, CCD,
  OZONE, CITES, etc.)
• Partner Organizations (Ramsar and CITES)
• Ecosystem Management Group (WWF, IUCN)

8
Example Climate Change

• Objective Reduce emissions to allow ecosystems
  to adapt naturally to climate change
• No one institution can achieve that goal
• Requires active cooperation amongst UN agencies,
  Conventions, and NGOs
• Technical bodies
• Financial mechanisms
• Local implementation

9
Example Climate Change

• Activities
• Providing analysis and research
• Raise awareness and build capacity
• Develop policies and strategies
• Pre-requisites
• A planning framework and priority setting
• Coordinated action
• How IM could provide the organizational framework
  needs to be further explored