Enhancing Civil Society Engagement in the Work of UNEP
Strategy Paper for CPR

6. Appendix I

6.1. Draft Revision of Rule 69 of the Rules of Procedure of the Governing Council

The Governing Council

Recalling resolution 2997(XXVII) of 15 December 1972 of the General Assembly, in particular its section IV, paragraph 5, as well as chapter 28 of Agenda 21;
Recalling the United Nations Millennium Declaration and General Assembly resolution 55/162 of 14 December 2000 concerning the follow-up to the outcome of the Millennium Summit;
Also recalling its decision 18/4 of 26 May 1995, which called for the development of a policy framework and appropriate mechanisms for working with the civil society, private sector and other major groups and a subsequent policy of the United Nations Environment Programme concerning non-governmental organizations and other major groups, issued on 30 October 1996,
Stressing paragraph 14 of the Malmo Ministerial Declaration,
Taking note with appreciation of the work of the United Nations Environment Programme with respect to the civil society, private sector and other major groups,
Also taking note of the civil society statement presented during the twenty-first session of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum;
Aiming at further developing the relationship between the civil society, private sector and other major groups and the United Nations Environment Programme and its governing bodies, based on arrangements recommended in the Executive Director's report on implementation of decision GC 21/19.

Therefore, recognizing that the rules of procedure of the Governing Council, in particular rule 69, which allows "international non-governmental organizations having an interest in the field of the environment to sit as observers at public meetings of the Governing Council and its subsidiary bodies", is not in full coherence with best practice in inter-governmental relations with civil society;

Decides to amend Section 69 of Rules of Procedure in order to achieve changes in policy processes, as well as other institutional arrangements recommended in the Executive Director's report on implementation of decision GC 21/19. The amended Section 69 will include the following:

1. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) having an interest in the field of the environment, referred to in section IV, paragraph 5, of General Assembly resolution 2997 (XXVII), may designate representatives to sit as observers at public meetings of the Governing Council and its subsidiary organs, if any. Such non-governmental organizations may include International NGOs, representatives of civil society networks (including national level designated reps), national/local NGO members of global multi-stakeholder networks dealing with environmental policy, national NGOs with documented contributions to global environmental policy processes, and NGOs accredited to the CSD or an international environmental convention. The Governing Council shall from time to time adopt and revise when necessary a list of such organizations.

2. Upon the invitation of the President or Chairman, as the case may be, and subject to the approval of the Governing Council or the subsidiary organ concerned, accredited NGOs may make oral statements on matters within the scope of their activities. In order that any such statements may be given due consideration in the deliberations of the Governing Council or the subsidiary organ concerned, the President or Chairman will make every effort to schedule the presentation of such statements during the course of government statements, rather than at the end.

3. Written statements provided by accredited non-governmental organizations referred to in paragraph 1 above, related to items on the agenda of the Governing Council or of its subsidiary organs, shall be circulated by the secretariat to members of the Governing Council or of the subsidiary organ concerned in the quantities and in the languages in which the statements were made available to the secretariat for distribution.