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Kaveh Zahedi Regional Director and Representative for Asia Pacific, United Nations Environment Programme
PROTECTING THE NATURAL WORLD AND BEYOND UNEP was founded in 1972 as the voice for the environment within the UN. Here, Kaveh Zahedi provides an insight into the organisation’s activities to promote sustainable development worldwide through policy and programmes
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Can you outline the core mission of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and explain how the organisation aims to achieve its goals? What role does the Regional Office for Asia Pacific (ROAP) play?
After gaining my Master’s in International Relations I spent some time in a small non-governmental organisation (NGO) working on microcredit and community support projects and learnt a great deal about the potential impact of small interventions on people’s lives.
UNEP is the leading global environmental authority. It sets the global environmental agenda and promotes the implementation of the environmental dimensions of sustainable development in countries and within the UN system. UNEP works through partnerships with governments, local authorities, civil society, other UN entities, regional and international institutions, as well as the private sector to achieve its goals.
I moved to UNEP some 20 years ago and have served the Organisation in Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. As Regional Director, my job is to ensure we are offering the countries of the region the coherent support they need in their journeys towards sustainability and a green economy. I manage a team of around 60 staff dedicated to building partnerships, understanding country requirements and helping match those needs with UNEP’s expertise.
ROAP provides technical expertise to help countries and other stakeholders meet their environmental and sustainable development objectives. Its work includes building and supporting effective institutions, helping countries access finance for environment programmes and projects, undertaking science policy assessments to support informed decision making, and offering advisory services tailored to the needs of countries, subregional and regional organisations. How did your professional background guide you towards your position as Regional Director and Representative? Can you explain your principal responsibilities? I studied economics and geography at university, and this was where my interest in the issues encompassing sustainable development began.
To what extent is UNEP ROAP seeking to tackle the foremost issues within the seven spheres of its environment programme? In each of our areas of work we look to bring together the best science, on which we base our policy options to help countries move towards their sustainable development goals. One example is our focus on ecosystem management. The Asia-Pacific region is characterised by its incredible biodiversity, ranking as one of the richest and most varied ecosystems in the world. It holds 20 per cent of the world’s biodiversity, 14 per cent of the planet’s tropical forests, and 34 per cent of global coral reefs, including the greatest number of marine species in the world. However, between 1970 and 2008, biodiversity declined by 64 per cent, which is twice the global average. WWW.RESEARCHMEDIA.EU 11
ANALYSIS: EXCLUSIVE In order to address this challenge, we have supported countries to assess their ecosystems, undertake the valuation of these and the services they provide to people, as well as develop guidelines and policies to encourage integrated ecosystem management and restoration. One such example is the development of national strategies and programmes in 14 countries in Asia-Pacific to reduce the rapid spread of invasive species that increasingly affect local economies, human health as well as ecosystems. We also work with regional fora, where countries come together to jointly agree on how to tackle priority needs, such as the Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans. In carrying out these activities UNEP works through partnerships and brings together countries, organisations and the private sectors in collaboration, including global partnerships on coral reefs, marine litter, wastewater, nutrient management, and sustainable tourism, to name a few. The trafficking of wildlife has been a major issue in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in view of the illicit exporting of animals from Africa to Asia, and prohibited trafficking of timber from Southeast and Northeast Asia, as well as Europe and North America. Building upon the international recognition of the urgent requirement to address illegal wildlife trade, reflected in various high-level dialogues that have taken place recently, including those at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), UNEP will further strengthen its work in this field. For instance, projects are being developed to support countries affected by this prevalent issue by providing capacity building support for frontline enforcement officers, strengthening legal frameworks and institutional arrangements at the national level, raising awareness and changing consumer behaviour, and providing alternative livelihood support to communities. On 28 April 2014, UNEP ROAP released its roadmap for the implementation of the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production (10YFP). Can you discuss the importance of this roadmap and its key objectives? One of the fundamental drivers for environmental degradation in the Asia-Pacific region is how we consume and produce goods and services. By articulating what the region’s priorities are, and what needs to be accomplished within a specific time period, the roadmap puts all partners on the same page – that’s important for countries that want to learn from each other, and for agencies like the UN and donors so that they can prioritise their support in the most relevant and legitimate areas of action. This roadmap will also be used as a coordination and communication tool. Asia-Pacific was the first region to articulate a roadmap to implement the 10YFP adopted at the Rio+20 summit. The programmes within the roadmap will build capacity for implementation and raise awareness to promote the shift to sustainable consumption and production (SCP) patterns. The roadmap is also important for UNEP’s SCP programme which has been scaling up in the last few years with support from the EU. Many excellent case studies of sustainable manufacturing, agriculture, green buildings and so on exist, but countries need to get the policy framework – which is the rules of the game – right so that these can stop being case studies and start becoming the status quo. We’ve now built up a strong network of policy makers active on this topic and are providing them with the tools, training, and financial and technical support they need to make the change. We have reached an interesting stage where we can work with countries on specific policy projects to get the ball rolling. For example, China is scaling up its work on certification of carbon labelling, and Bhutan is looking into paperless operations. Some countries are tackling bigger issues like fiscal policy and re-examining how subsidies are allocated. 12
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As one of the main outcomes of the Rio+20 Summit, what were the main factors that led to the development of the 10YFP? How will this roadmap impact the Asia-Pacific region? If you look at other global environmental priorities, like climate change, you see that they had an intergovernmental framework and an independent scientific body to anchor and coordinate work. SCP has suffered from not having a natural scientific home, or a legitimate place for governments to discuss and coordinate action. There are many tools out there available for selection by governments, from conventions to statements, and they decided on the 10YFP because it allows flexibility while still enabling and articulating a vision for measurable change. In the Asia-Pacific region, 10YFP will make a difference by bringing SCP into high level political processes and will help mainstream it into national planning. Before, a policy maker would have to be a lone champion, whereas now they can make use of the information sharing, technical support, financial resources and activities under the 10YFP. Another main difference we expect to see is better integration of SCP into donor support to the region. This year saw the celebration of World Environment Day (WED) on 5 June. How important is WED in encouraging wider awareness and global action in environmental issues? How did UNEP ROAP commemorate the event? Over the years, WED has grown to be a beneficial platform for outreach that is widely celebrated in over 100 countries. It also serves as the people’s day for doing something positive for the environment. Therefore it is a very important means of outreach and communication. Of course our work is about making sure action on the environment by governments and people goes well beyond just a single day. UNEP ROAP celebrated WED with several activities organised alongside partners. In Thailand, we provided support to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on their three-day WED celebration; we published an editorial feature with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) (which was picked up by some of the region’s major daily newspapers) and participated in a live chat with ADB on how climate change is affecting vulnerable coastal communities across Asia-Pacific and what can be done to mitigate its impact (http:// blogs.adb.org/chats/raise-your-voice-notsea-level). Turningt our attention to the next generation, we also participated in the UNEP Tongji Student Conference on Environment and Sustainability in Shanghai, China. The first UNEA convened on 23-27 June in Nairobi, Kenya, and brought together high-level participants from government, business and civil society. What is hoped to be achieved with this newly-established Assembly? Can you offer an insight into your involvement? The first UNEA was an extraordinary moment for the environmental community. Over a hundred ministers and vice ministers, more than 150 countries and in excess of 1,000 people were in attendance. The UNEA produced 16 decisions and two resolutions on critical issues such as air pollution and illegal trade in wildlife that will help guide our collective work in the years to come. With its augmented role as a subsidiary body of the UN General Assembly, UNEA now has the mandate and capacity to position the environment alongside peace and security, poverty reduction, global health, trade and sustainable economic growth as an issue of crucial
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SEVEN SPHERES OF FOCUS Kaveh Zahedi introduces UNEP ROAP’s seven key foci within its environment programme: CLIMATE CHANGE This subprogramme has been designed to support countries in confronting the dual challenges of adapting to a changing climate while simultaneously addressing the emission of greenhouse gases. It also aims at improving countries’ understanding of climate science and raising public awareness. Facilitating technology transfer through needs assessments, supporting networks and finance, integrating climate change into national and sectoral policies and plans, facilitating readiness and access to finance are some of the areas of our work towards addressing climate change in Asia-Pacific. RESOURCE EFFICIENCY Our activities in this sphere ensure natural resources are produced, processed and consumed in a more environmentally sustainable way. In this area we support countries in shifting towards sustainable consumption and production (SCP) patterns and a green economy which brings opportunities for cleaner investments and green jobs that address poverty and enhance human wellbeing. ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT We use the ecosystems approach, which is an integrated strategy for managing land, water and living resources that recognises the strong link between ecosystem services and human wellbeing. UNEP ROAP works to ensure that these essential services, and the systems that support them, are correctly valued, protected and managed. ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE UNEP ROAP promotes informed environmental decision making and enhances global and regional environmental cooperation and governance. We work with countries, major groups and stakeholders to help bridge science and policy gaps by developing sound environmental policies and laws, and assisting countries in implementing these successfully. HARMFUL SUBSTANCES AND HAZARDOUS WASTE This subprogramme is designed to assist countries in managing the lifecycle of chemical substances and waste that could pose a threat to the environment and human health. Our work in this field includes reducing risks from mercury, heavy metals, pesticides, persistent organic pollutants and other chemicals of global concern as well as also providing services that help minimise the impact of harmful substances and hazardous waste on both people and the environment. DISASTERS AND CONFLICTS We aim to provide understanding and reduce the impacts of environmental degradation from disasters and conflicts on human health, livelihoods and security. The role of healthy ecosystems and sustainably managed resources in reducing the risk of disasters and conflicts is emphasised within this sphere of our activities. ENVIRONMENT UNDER REVIEW Through this subprogramme, UNEP ROAP assists countries in assessing their environmental situation and trends. As part of this work, we provide open web platforms, services and access to timely scientific knowledge about the environment and emerging issues as well as strengthening a country’s capacity to utilise this knowledge in decision making. importance to every government. Therefore, the decisions reached at UNEA have consequences beyond UNEP and affect the wider UN system. Having accompanied the UNEP Executive Director in his meetings with Ministers from countries like India, China, Iran, Bhutan and Mongolia, I saw that UNEA has already become a major platform for countries to share their own environmental challenges and accomplishments, and to rally together to guide important global discussions such as those included in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
As Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the UN, expressed at UNEA: “Today, there is common acceptance among governments and peoples that a healthy environment is necessary for eradicating poverty and supporting equitable economic growth and social progress”. This for me is UNEP’s greatest achievement.
In your opinion, what have been the organisation’s biggest success stories since its foundation? The UN General Assembly established UNEP in the wake of the 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment. At that time, environmental concerns were considered to be secondary to economic development. Since then, we have developed a better understanding of the links between environment and development, due in large part to the work of UNEP and its partners within and outside the UN system.
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