North American Civil Society Statement to the Ninth Special Session of the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum

A statement from North American civil society organizations prepared for the Ninth Special Session of the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GC/GMEF). The document outlines recommendations for global environmental governance, focusing on chemicals management, energy transition, and sustainable tourism, while emphasizing the specific responsibilities of North American governments and the vulnerability of the Arctic region.

• North American civil society organizations emphasize that the region's wealth and technical expertise create a significant responsibility for its governments, particularly the United States, to provide the leadership and resources necessary for UNEP to fulfill its mandate.
• The Arctic is identified as a region of special significance due to the disproportionate impact of industrial activities related to chemicals and energy production, which threaten the viability of indigenous and traditional cultures.
• Regarding chemicals management, the statement calls for the vigorous implementation of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) to achieve the goal that chemicals are produced and used in ways that minimize adverse effects on human health and the environment by 2020.
• The document urges the phase-out of anthropogenic mercury sources through a coordinated global strategy, including the creation of a legally binding global instrument and the addition of methyl mercury to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).
• In the energy sector, the statement highlights a global crisis where 2.4 billion people in developing countries lack modern fuels for heating and cooking, and 1.6 billion lack electricity. It notes that North America is the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions.
• The statement recommends that governments phase out all environmentally and socially harmful energy subsidies over the next decade and that UNEP develop a vision for energy services that prioritizes meeting demand over simply increasing supply.
• On tourism, the document notes that the industry accounts for more than 8% of all jobs and is the primary source of foreign exchange for 40% of developing countries. It advocates for the application of sustainable tourism principles to all types of tourism, including post-disaster reconstruction.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2005). North American Civil Society Statement to the Ninth Special Session of the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/NA_CSO_statement_16Nov2005.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. North American Civil Society Statement to the Ninth Special Session of the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum. 2005. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/NA_CSO_statement_16Nov2005.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=North American Civil Society Statement to the Ninth Special Session of the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum |date=16 November 2005 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/NA_CSO_statement_16Nov2005.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2005north, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{North American Civil Society Statement to the Ninth Special Session of the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2005}, month = nov, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/NA_CSO_statement_16Nov2005.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }