General Assembly - UN Documents

A/CONF.216/PC/8
Figure VI
Streamline institutions
Major groups (MG)
United Nations organizations (UN/O)
Merge institutions
87. To ensure effective coordination among different agencies and organizations,
some favour merging institutions, suggesting the formation of a single world
environment organization or merging the Commission on Sustainable Development
into an expanded Economic and Social Council with a stronger mandate for
promoting sustainable development throughout the United Nations family, including
the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. One Member State called for
strengthening the Economic and Social Council as an effective forum for the
multilateral discussion of economic and social themes through a sustainable
development approach. 136 An international court for the environment was proposed
by some major groups to address the lack of legal authority in the current system
with regard to enforcing sustainable development strategies and multilateral
environmental agreements. 137 One regional group stated that the creation of new
institutions should be a last resort, but could be desirable if it entailed the merging
of institutions with complementary mandates. 138
88. Some Member States suggested that reform of UNEP should strengthen its
capacity and leadership to ensure United Nations system delivery to Member States
on the environmental pillar of sustainable development. 139 Some Member States
supported the upgrading of UNEP to a specialized agency for the environment. One
Member State emphasized that both UNEP and the Commission on Sustainable
Development should be strengthened to reinforce all three pillars of sustainable
development. 140
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136 Brazil.
137 Stakeholder Forum for a Sustainable Future.
138 ECA.
139 Sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly, Second Committee, statements by Germany,
Mexico, Norway and Serbia.
140 Brazil.
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