EU

The United Nations Environment Programme support
to countries on monitoring and implementation

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has been providing advisory services and technical support to the eight Mediterranean countries in the development of their Sustainable Consumption and Production National Action Plans (SCP-NAPs) and a variety of demonstration projects in Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Palestine during the first phase of SwitchMed (2013-2018). Under SwitchMed II (2019-2023), UNEP continues the efforts from the first phase and supports the implementation of the eight SCP-NAPs through progress monitoring, which allows integration of lessons learned by all countries’ partners working on SCP — including the outcomes and decisions from the HLPF (High-level political forum on SDGs) and the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-4). UNEP will further cooperate with national partners on the NAP implementation.
A special focus concentrates on establishing strong linkages between the country owned SCP national action plans and the growing international experience between SCP and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as national responses to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

UNEP will collaborate with countries to (i) ensure effective monitoring of progress in the implementation of the SCP-NAPs, and support to their annual SDG reporting and (ii) support implementation through concrete projects at country level that will address specific needs expressed by national stakeholders and that will translate into tangible “on the ground” action in the countries. Each country process will be tailored around national priorities and government-led.

These outputs will be achieved through:

  • Multi-stakeholder, nationally owned and driven processes — in-line with international agendas (SDG, UNEA resolutions, Paris agreement, biodiversity);
  • Engagement of governments, public and private sector, consumers and civil society organizations;
  • Implementation of behavioral changes and development of sustainable products, services, and markets;
  • Support the emergence of more sustainable lifestyles oriented by available and accessible consumer information tools.

UNEP SwitchMed II workstream is in-line with the recently approved UNEP Program of Work and will continue collaborations with programmes and initiatives established during phase I (10YFP/One Planet, Internal Resource Panel (IRP), Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), Green Growth Knowledge Partnership (GGKP), Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP), Sustainable tourism, Ecoinnovation, Efficient Lighting Initiative and Life Cycle Initiative).

Goals:

  • SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production;
  • SDG 8 – Sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth;
  • SDG 9 – Resilient infrastructure, industrialization and innovation;
  • SDG 17 – Global partnerships for sustainable development;