Background
The first UNEP Global Civil Society Forum—later rebranded as the Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum (GMGSF)—took place in Malmö, Sweden, in 2000. Since then, the GMGSF has been held prior to each session of the Governing Council and the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA).
Scope and objectives
The GMGSF provides an avenue for Major Groups and Stakeholders to finalize their positions, statements, and contributions for the UNEA process, encompassing formal meetings and negotiations conducted within the Assembly.
As the Forum is also open to organizations that are not accredited by UNEP, it offers an opportunity for both accredited and non-accredited stakeholders to exchange perspectives among themselves and with representatives from the UNEP Secretariat and interested Member States. The primary objective is to foster dialogue and collaboration in addressing significant environmental issues within the framework of the UNEA agenda.
20th Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum
In 2024, a Joint Global Statement of Major Groups and Stakeholders for UNEA 6 was presented by the Children and Youth, Indigenous Peoples, Farmers, Local Authorities, NGO, Science and Technology, Women, and Workers and Trade Unions Major Groups, based on a series of International Consultations and the 20th Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum. The 20th GMGSF also featured working sessions on the draft resolutions put forward for UNEA-6 contributing to major groups and stakeholders' active engagement in resolution negotiations.
Information on past sessions of the GMGSF is accessible on our meeting page, under the meeting category “Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum (GMGSF)”
