Consultative Process on Environmental and Social Sustainability

Environmental and Social Sustainability is the adaption and integration of precautionary environmental and social principles and considerations into decision making processes. The objective of such safeguards is to prevent and mitigate undue harm to the environment and people at the earliest possible planning stage. Safeguards can appear as a combination of minimum standards and best practice guidelines.

There is a growing awareness at both international and national levels of the need for effective environmental and social sustainability. The EMG feels that it is important to seek systematic and improved ways of taking due consideration to avoid potential environmental and social negative impacts when developing new strategies or projects to fulfill our mandates.

The EMG 15th Senior Officials meeting therefore requested the Chair of the EMG to organize a consultation process and to prepare a report on options for the development of a possible United Nations system-wide approach to environmental and social sustainability. The EMG consulted members, the United Nations Development Group and the High-level Committee on Management.

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