A refined list of options for improving the effectiveness of and cooperation among biodiversity-related conventions will be presented to Multilateral Environmental Agreement (MEA) Secretariats following an expert meeting in Switzerland in May.

Representatives from governments, relevant Convention secretariats and international and regional organizations - as well as experts in MEAs, their synergies and aspects of implementation - met at Château de Bossey in the outskirts of Geneva on 13-15 May to develop the list.

Building on an online questionnaire and on discussion at an earlier expert workshop held in Interlaken last August, a wide range of different options were considered, while actions were further elaborated that would need to be taken to implement the aim of increasing synergies and coherence in MEA implementation.

The refined list of options is planned to be communicated to MEA secretariats - and through them to Parties – as well as to processes established by the conventions for looking at opportunities for synergies and coherence. In addition, the ‘options paper’ developed will be shared with the United Nations Environment Assembly next year, supporting a report by the Executive Director on follow-up to Governing Council Decision SS.XII/3 on International Environmental Governance.

The expert meeting took place as part of the UNEP project ‘Improving the effectiveness of and cooperation among biodiversity-related conventions and exploring opportunities for further synergies’ funded by the EU, Switzerland and Finland.

The long-term purpose of the project, in line with the outcomes from this meeting, is to support enhanced synergies on programmatic, institutional and administrative areas of work related to MEAs, including through the support provided by UNEP.

For more information: Katia.dePrado@unep.org