Eighth Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference

The Eighth Environment for Europe (EfE) Ministerial Conference will take place in Batumi, Georgia, from 8 to 10 June 2016.

The Ministerial Conference, organised by the Government of Georgia with support from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), which provides the secretariat for the EfE process, will bring together approximately 800 official delegates, fostering a unique partnership between member States of the UNECE, organizations of the United Nations system represented in the region, other intergovernmental organizations, Regional Environment Centres, non-governmental organizations, the business sector and other representatives of civil society.

Over two and a half days the Ministerial Conference will address two main themes: greening the economy in the pan-European region and improving air quality for a better environment and human health. Also, a high level segment on education for sustainable development will be organized during the Conference with a view to assessing the progress during the first 10 years of the UNECE Strategy of Education for Sustainable Development, and to considering its future implementation.

There will also be 33 side events, of which a third on clean air and the remaining on the green economy – the two main themes of the conference. The Green Economy session of the Conference on 9 June, will be opened by the UNEP Goodwill Ambassador and explorer, Betrand Piccard.

The Ministerial Conference is expected to culminate in the adoption of a Ministerial Declaration. In addition, key outputs expected from the Conference include a pan-European Strategic Framework for Greening the Economy and the Batumi Action for Cleaner Air.

Ministers are expected to commit to 5 action points relating to the Green Economy which will translate into a 'Batumi Initiative on Green Economy for SDGs (BIG-E)'.

UNEP Participation

UNEP is working closely together with the countries of the region and with UNECE to support the preparations of Batumi, in particular the 'Pan-European Strategic Framework for Greening the Economy'. This Strategic Framework envisions the countries of the pan-European region pursuing a development pattern that ensures economic progress, social equity and the sustainable use of ecosystems and natural resources, so as to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Furthermore, UNEP will also actively involved in a number of events.

The European regional assessment of the 6^th Regional Global Environment Outlook (GEO-6) will be launched in Batumi on 8 June and will feature as part of the main conference programme. The upcoming GEO-6 will build upon regional assessment processes and create a comprehensive picture of the environmental factors contributing to human well-being, accompanied by an analysis of policies leading to greater attainment of global environmental objectives and goals.

UNEP will also lead in the organisation of a media workshop in collaboration with UNECE within the framework of the EU funded “Greening Economies in the Eastern Neighbourhood Countries” (EaP-GREEN) Project. UNEP will also have a joint exhibition stand with European Environment Agency and UNECE on Green Economy where GEO will also be promoted.

The full programme of the Ministerial Conference can be found here.

Furthermore, UNEP will be involved in five side events which will take place during the Ministerial Conference:

1. City in Motion: People first – Riding towards green economy: cycling and green jobs (8 June, 13h10–14h50)
2. Universal Application of Rio Principle 10 to support implementation of SDGs (8 June, 13h10–14h50)
3. Greening the Economy and Sustainable Development in Central Asia - Current Achievements and the Way Forward (9 June, 08h15–09h45)
4. From Kiev to Batumi and beyond: The prospects for ENVSEC’s contribution to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (9 June, 13h10–14h50)
5. 20 years of Environmental Performance Reviews: Lessons for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (9 June, 18h15–20h15)

The full programme of side events is available here.

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About the EfE Process

EfE process and the Ministerial meetings in this framework, take place every three -five years, provide a high-level platform for stakeholders to discuss, decide and join in efforts addressing environmental priorities across the 56 countries of the ECE region, and serve as a regional pillar of sustainable development.

The first Ministerial conference Environment for Europe, initiated by the Ministry of Environment Protection of Czechoslovakia, was held in 1991 in Dobris. Since then, six ministerial conferences have been held in Lucerne (Switzerland, 1993), Sofia (Bulgaria, 1995), Aarhus (Denmark, 1998), Kiev (Ukraine, 2003), Belgrade (Serbia, 2007) and Astana (Kazakhstan, 2011). The Ministerial Conference is organized based on the provisions of the Environment for Europe Reform Plan (En / Fr / Ru) and in accordance with the approved procedures for the Batumi Ministerial Conference (En / Fr / Ru).

More information on the Ministerial Conference can be found here.

You can find the draft provisional agenda of the 8th EfE Ministerial Conference here.

Documents and materials for the Ministerial Conference will be uploaded here.