Nairobi, 31 March 2015

 

Twelve authors and editors of AFED reports had also been selected as contributors to the sixth edition of the Global Environment Outlook (GEO-6), produced by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). GEO is the flagship UN document which tracks the state of the world environment and proposes scenarios for action. Various roles had been assigned to AFED associates, in recognition of AFED contribution to promote science-based and policy-oriented environmental knowledge. Ten AFED associated authors were appointed as Regional Contributors, one as Regional Reviewer and one as Global Reviewer.

 

Part 1 of the assessment will cover overview of the state and trends of global environment, including air, land and water and their multiple contributions to environment and human wellbeing. Part 2 will provide policy responses and options and identify gaps in achieving sustainable development goals. Part 3 will propose an outlook, through an integrated analysis of megatrends and environmental change, and provide support to the environmental components of the post-2015 development agenda.

 

AFED Secretary General Najib Saab had been appointed as member of UNEP’s High Level Advisory Group (HLG), comprising 36 members representing governments and major organizations from all regions. The HLG is tasked to oversee the production of GEO-6 and provide policy direction to authors. Members of the HLG held their first meeting at UNEP's HQs in Nairobi on 26-27 March. They agreed on the modalities of the work, and set an agenda through 2018, the date for the release of the global assessment. The HLG affirmed that GEO- 6 will be a comprehensive integrated environmental assessment, building on but not duplicating existing assessments and processes. Regional environmental assessment reports will precede the global one, and will be released in mid 2016. AFED will also be contributing to the regional assessment for the Arab region.