4 Steps for Targeted Coherence

The authors argue that 'deep' system-wide coordination of all international organizations is an impossible challenge due to the diversity of mandates. Instead, they propose 'targeted coherence'—coordination between specific agencies for specific tasks. The paper outlines four practical steps: elevating environmental issues on the UN System Chief Executives Board (CEB) agenda, establishing an annual retreat for environmental leaders, creating issue-specific task forces for regional and national implementation, and developing a GEG Project Database Portal to aggregate information. These measures aim to replace the current annual EMG meeting, which is described as a 'fruitless exercise'.

• The authors argue that seeking 'deep' or 'full system coordination' across all international organizations is unrealistic and potentially undesirable because the international system is too 'unwieldy'. They advocate for 'targeted coherence', which focuses on coherence between 'specific agencies, for specific tasks, on specific issues and in specific ways'.
• The UN Environmental Management Group (EMG) is criticized for its current structure; while it has achieved some successes like the UN Carbon Neutral Initiative, its annual meeting is viewed by many as a 'fruitless exercise' that merely highlights the difficulties of UN inter-agency coordination.
• The document categorizes GEG actors into three tiers based on their mandates: organizations primarily focused on the environment (e.g., UNEP, GEF), those focused on development with strong environmental components (e.g., UNDP, World Bank), and those with non-environmental primary mandates that still impact the environment (e.g., WHO, ICAO).
• To improve high-level leadership and vision, the authors propose moving institutional vision and direction discussions from the EMG to the UN System Chief Executives Board (CEB) agenda, under the guidance of the UN Secretary-General.
• The authors suggest a formalized annual retreat for the highest leadership of institutions whose primary mission is environmental, such as MEA secretariats and environmental funds, to facilitate substantive coordination on interacting issues like forests and climate change.
• To address the gap in implementation at local, national, and regional levels, the paper proposes creating ad hoc, issue-specific task forces that allow technical and field staff to coordinate actions and create synergies.
• The proposal includes the creation of a GEG Project Database Portal (PDP) to act as an aggregator for existing project databases (such as the GEF Project Database or OECD CRS), providing a 'one-window' approach to information exchange.

APA

Najam, A., & Muñoz, M. (2008). 4 Steps for Targeted Coherence. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/geg_steps_coherence.pdf

Chicago

Najam, Adil, and Miquel Muñoz. 4 Steps for Targeted Coherence. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2008. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/geg_steps_coherence.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Najam |first1=Adil |last2=Muñoz |first2=Miquel |title=4 Steps for Targeted Coherence |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=June 2008 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/geg_steps_coherence.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{najam2008steps, author = {Najam, Adil and Muñoz, Miquel}, title = {{4 Steps for Targeted Coherence}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2008}, month = jun, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/geg_steps_coherence.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }