The Major Groups Facilitating Committee (MGFC) facilitates Major Groups and Stakeholders engagement with UNEP. It is not a decision-making body, but provides guidance and coordinates the engagement of Major Groups with UNEP. It consists of 2 elected members per Major Group and 2 elected Regional Facilitators per region.
Members of the MGFC are expected to adhere to the obligations outlined in UNEP’s Stakeholder Engagement Handbook and to be able to allocate sufficient time to their functions in the MGFC. It is expected that their interventions and actions are based on regular and intensive interaction with their constituency (their respective Major Group). UNEP is not able to provide any financial or other remuneration. Furthermore, MGFC members are expected to:
- Help maximize participation of representatives of its Major Group worldwide in UNEA and its related meetings;
- Promote good representation of Major Groups at the Regional Consultative Meeting (RCM, see below), and ensure that the participants have received the necessary information relating to the agenda beforehand;
- Facilitate the involvement of Major Groups members with specific issue knowledge in UNEP-related work, both in the local, national and regional contexts as well as at UNEA;
- Foster balanced representation on the basis of gender, focus, and region;
- Mobilize knowledgeable representatives of the Major Groups to participate in UNEA and its subsidiary organs;
- Assist participating Major Group members in having access to information related to the agenda for the UNEP meetings; participating fully in UNEA and its related meetings, and having free and unfettered access to delegates;
- Provide general information, training and capacity building on UNEP processes;
- Generate broad media-interest, as well as on-going educational programmes around the world;
- Maintain a web-based information hub, issues-based listservs, as well as general informational sites;
- Disseminate issue-based information from the Major Groups and Stakeholders focusing on these issues, to others not directly involved in those issue-networks; and
- Coordinate the preparation of the Major Groups policy papers.
- The MGFC shall also be responsible for coordinating their activities with the regional level in cooperation with their regional networks, Regional Facilitators and with UNEP’s Secretariat and Regional Offices.
- In particular, each of the Major Groups’ facilitators is encouraged to support the UNEP Secretariat to:
- Foster the participation of their Major Group organizations during the RCMs;
- In regions where their Major Groups are underrepresented, help to identify and involve emerging or newly-established Major Groups in the regional meetings;
- Promote inter-regional exchange and coordination of inputs within their Major Group;
- Facilitate the integration of regional concerns into the Major Groups policy statements; and
- Actively participate in the identification of skilled or specialized presenters or facilitators at meetings as appropriate.
The Chairs of the MGFC organize, with the support of the UNEP’s Major Groups and Stakeholders Branch/Secretary of the Governing Bodies, regular teleconferences that bring together members of the MGFC, Regional Facilitators as observers, UNEP’s MGSB and others as deemed necessary. These teleconferences take place at least once every six weeks. The draft agenda and meeting minutes are page 28 prepared by the Chairpersons of the MGFC. Minutes are distributed by the MGSB among accredited MGS.
During UNEA, the MGFC also organizes a daily morning briefing/debriefing and process meeting, chaired by MGFC members on a rotational basis, to:
- Provide an overview of the official agenda for that day;
- Appoint volunteers to follow critical issues on the agenda who then report back the next day;
- Promote consensus on Major Group representation during the plenaries and other relevant
- sessions;
- Report back to the morning meeting from the discussions held the preceding day, including sharing central and important observations and comments gathered from the UNEA discussions and possibly facilitate consensus-building processes to plan for the day ahead in a strategic manner, including outreach to relevant delegations or other partners;
- Promote discussions on important messages or concerns raised from any of the Major Groups;
- Make announcements and address any other relevant business.
Major groups representatives
Business and Industry
Elections Ongoing
Children & Youth
AEGEE Europe (Association des Etats Generaux des Etudiants de l'Europe).
Gyubin Hwang has worked with the Children and Youth Major Group since 2020, working on capacity building and youth engagement in science-policy, sustainable finance, and extractives. In his day job, he works on commodity supply chains and hydrogen economics, working with industries to ensure a sustainable transition to a green economy. Gyubin holds degrees from the University of Oxford and University College London.
India Youth for Society
Zuhair is a Bangladeshi-born global citizen. He advocates for the meaningful engagement of youths in climate and environmental governance processes. He demonstrates excellent leadership skills in policy advocacy. He is an expert in networking, which he puts to promote multiple programs focused on environmental concerns. He facilitates numerous platforms for empowering youths to play critical and competitive roles in sustainable development by offering action-based learning programs about all the aspects of resilience and sustainability and providing access to resources and networks. Zuhair is also an environmental educator, and through his 'Climate Literacy Program,' he has trained and sensitised over 5000 youths on climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. He took part and played an active role in intergovernmental dialogues to uphold the expectations and demands of the youth in ensuring their inclusion in decision-making, propelling environmental multilateralism, and implementing the environmental dimension of SDGs. He conceptualised and currently implementing the 'Green Entrepreneurship Development' Program' across Bangladesh to capacitate marginalised youths on environment-friendly enterprise development. As the Manager of EARTHDAY.ORG in Bangladesh, he has successfully inaugurated a community-led mangrove restoration project for planting 100,000 mangroves in the country's coastal region to build community resilience to climate change consequences.
Farmers
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Global Farming Network
Paul Temple is a third generation tenant farmer on a mixed arable and beef farm in the north of England. Wheat is grown for seed, barley for feed alongside break crops of Oilseed Rape, Spring Beans and grass leys. The livestock enterprise is based on 240 suckler cows (cow/calf) grazing environmental grasses with half the offspring fattened and half sold as stores. The farm works to Conservation Agriculture principles and is now into the sixth year of No-till drilling and using livestock manures to enhance soil fertility, sustainability and resilience to weather extremes.
Solutions from the Land
A.G. Kawamura is a third generation produce grower and shipper from Orange County, California. From 2003 to 2010 he served as the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. He is founding co-chair of Solutions from the Land (solutionsfromtheland.org), a nationally recognized non-profit that is developing innovative and sustainable climate smart collaborations for 21st century agriculture. He serves on multiple boards and advisory committees including the Farm Foundation Board; Western Growers Board and former Chair; Ag Advisory Committee for the Chicago Council; Bipartisan Policy Center, Ag & Forestry task force; Southern California Water Coalition, Executive Committee.
For over 40 years Mr. Kawamura has pursued a lifelong goal to work towards an end to hunger and malnutrition. Locally, he is founding chair of Solutions For Urban Ag (SFUA.org). He has worked closely with Regional Food Banks and stakeholders to create exciting urban ag projects that focus on nutrition, hunger, education and advanced food systems. As a progressive farmer, Mr. Kawamura has a lifetime of experience working within the shrinking rural and urban boundaries of Southern California. A.G. graduated with a BA from UC Berkeley and was a member of Class XX of the Calif. Ag Leadership Program.
Indigenous Peoples and their Communities
Centre for Support of Indigenous Peoples of the North
Rodion Sulyandziga has many years of solid experience working on the promotion and protection of indigenous peoples’ rights at the local and global level including UN human rights mechanisms and bodies. Being an Udege (“Forest People”) indigenous origin Rodion has first-hand knowledge of challenges faced by indigenous peoples in his region and at globe. Through his international and regional advocacy, documentation and research, Rodion is a well-recognized promoter of the rights of indigenous peoples. He has been the co-chair of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change on the way to Paris Agreement (2012-2016) and IP Global coordination committee of the UN High Level Plenary/World Conference on indigenous peoples (2013-2015). He had two UN holder position being a member of Expert Mechanism on the rights of indigenous peoples, EMRIP (2019-2022) under the HRC and Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform, LCIPP under the UNFCCC (2018-2021). He has Ph.D., Social Science.
Coordinadora de las Organizaciones indigenas de la Cueca Amazonica (COICA)
Uitoto Mɨnɨka Indigenous from The Chorrera - Amazonas, Colombia. Political scientist, Sustainability PhD. Academic researcher at UNESCO Chair of Sustainability at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) - Barcelona and at National University of Colombia (UN), Amazon Headquarters. Speaker and columnist. Advisor to Indigenous Peoples, has been part of the negotiations Post 2020 Biodiversity Framework from the Climate Change and Biodiversity team of the Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA); leads Group 8j within the Indigenous CAUCUS on Biodiversity and Co-chair on Biodiversity for Latin America and the Caribbean. Technically and legally supported Fast-Track in the framework of the implementation of the Colombian Peace Accords, founder of the Movimiento Alternativo Indígena y Social-MAIS in the Amazon, for which she was a candidate for the Senate of the Republic of Colombia by indigenous jurisdiction. Defender of Human Rights, Rights of Nature, the Amazon and Indigenous Territories, advocates for the protection, positioning and visibility of indigenous knowledge systems and the construction of sustainable alternatives for indigenous nations.
Local Authorities
United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)
Citizen of France, alumnus of the College of Europe, Jean-Baptiste Buffet has a longstanding experience in urban governance and the implementation of the global development agendas at local level. Since 2009, Jean-Baptiste Buffet coordinates Global Policy and Advocacy at United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the largest world network organisation of cities and regions in the world.
Jean-Baptiste is a graduate of the College of Europe in Bruges, the Institut d’Etudes Politiques of Lille, the University of Kent and the Freie Universität Berlin.
Passionate about urban life, he advocates for a “positive urbanization” and has published number of articles, including on city services delivery and public-private partnerships. He contributed to the book “La Cité des Hommes” with Dominique de Villepin
ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability
Dr. Naidoo is responsible for the strategic direction of ICLEI’s Circular Development work, overseeing key projects, and fostering strategic relationships to bring about sustainable systemic change. Previously, he spent 14 years with the eThekwini Municipality, South Africa, in multiple Departments such as the Energy Office, where he worked on thematic areas such as the Green Economy. He holds a Doctorate of Business from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
NGOs
WELFARE Togo
She is the President and founder of WELFARE Togo. Journalist by profession (youngest female journalist entrepreneur), she is the owner and Director of Media Company ECO CONSCIENCE TV in Togo (thematic media focusing on environment and gender).
Human Right activist, Djatougbe Aziaka holds a Professional Bachelor Degree in Journalism at Institute of Information Sciences, Communication and Arts (ISICA), University of Lomé and a BA in Languages. She has more than 8 years’ experience on social, environmental, gender and cultural, issues working as a journalist (print, radio, TV and social media).
She is also a regular participant in the UNFCCC, UNCCD negotiations and other negotiations under SAICM and BRS Conventions. She served as representative of Africa region in CSO panel of United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) for the biennial term 2018-2019.
The organization that she leads, WELFARE is involved in capacity building projects in rural communities in which rural people are trained on how to utilize forest and wildlife resources in a sustainable manner. The organization works also for Peace and Good Governance, capacity building of youth, young women, involvement of youth in sustainable development process, decision making.
The Center for Oceanic Awareness, Research, and Education (COARE)
Christopher Chin is a SCUBA Master Instructor and technical diver whose passion for the ocean stems back to childhood. He is an accomplished underwater videographer and writer whose footage and work have been featured on the Discovery Channel and Shark Week. In 2006, Christopher co-founded The Center for Oceanic Awareness, Research, and Education (COARE), and and he continues to serve as its Executive Director.
Christopher is an internationally recognized expert in ocean policy and conservation issues, and has authored, supported, and defended a multitude of laws affecting ocean health and resources. He is considered one of North America's foremost experts in shark fin policy, and is a global leader in the fight against plastic pollution. Christopher is an avid advocate for Environmental Justice and co-authored the report "Neglected: Environmental Justice Impacts of Marine Litter and Plastic Pollution", published by UNEP in 2021.
Scientific and Technological Community
Central European University
Stephen Stec is a representative of the Science and Technology Major Group. He teaches at Central European University and co-directs the Guta Environmental Law Association. Formerly, Mr. Stec headed the Environmental Law Programme of the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe, where he helped negotiate and implement several multilateral environmental agreements. With degrees from The Johns Hopkins University, University of Maryland School of Law, and CEU, he frequently publishes in the fields of international law and sustainability, environment and security, and corporate accountability, and is the author of UNEP's guide to the Bali Guidelines on Rio Principle 10.
Mohamed Abdelraouf - co-chairs
Environment Research, Gulf Research Center (GRC)
Dr. Mohammed Abdelraouf leads the Gulf Research Center research program on Sustainability and Environmental Issues. He is also a non-resident environmental researcher working with many think tanks in the MENA region and Europe. He was the lead author for UNEP’s GEO-5 and 6 Reports, West Asia chapter on Environmental Governance section. He has published various policy papers on environmental issues in the MENA region and authored five books. Dr. Raouf is a certified trainer in “Water Diplomacy” and “Water footprint Assessment”. He is chair of the Major Groups Facilitating Committee (MGFC) at UNEP representing Science and Tech. Major Group.
Women
Mahiberehiwot for Social Development (MSD)
She has obtained her MA in Global Studies and International relations from New Generation University Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and is doing her second Masters in Electoral Policy and Administration (MEPA) at Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Italy. She has gotten her first BSc from Arbaminch University in Computer Science. She is Co facilitator for Women major group at UNEP, a member of IUCN Biodiversity & Family Planning Task Force. She is currently Communication and Partnership Manager at Mahiberehiwot for Social Development (MSD). She has 10 years of experience in different sectors mainly in Local and International CSOs. Her area of expertise is not limited to advocacy, human rights and communication works, but also has undeniable capacity in writing articles in different issues mainly in empowering the young generation and women. Her aspiration is to become influential in making affirmative transformations to her country, the region and the globe as a whole.
CEO / Founder, Juventud Unida en Acción
Dalia Fernanda Márquez Añez is a lawyer from Venezuela. She is passionate about defending Human Rights, promoting gender equality, peacebuilding, and is an environmentalist passionate about raising her voice for the defense of the environment. She was a university professor for 7 years at the Faculty of Law of the Universidad Católica del Táchira. She is the founder of the NGO “Juventud Unida en Acción”, an institution in which for 9 years she has been developing education and training programs to empower people as agents of change in their community, empower women, promote the culture of peacebuilding, and developed social programs in vulnerable communities. As activist she has been Regional Facilitator of the Major Groups for Latin America and the Caribbean UNEP, was also Youth Advisor of the TUNZA strategy of the United Nations Environment Program. Dalia is CO-Founder of the Latin American and Caribbean platform LACEMOS a network that seeks to involve civil society in the different global decision-making spaces. In his academic field, she has been part of research groups on Human Rights, gender, environment, and peace, is specialist in commercial law, Human Rights Protection Specialist in the EU, and has a Master degree in Human Rights.
International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Africa.
An advocate for environmental sustainability, social justice, sustainable development, social movement building, grassroots and youth empowerment; Ms. Boateng coordinates ITUC-Africa's work on Climate Change and Just Transition with focus on research training and developing capacities on climate change issues, policy development, lobbying and advocacy, design and implementation of campaigns on climate and environment issues. She represents workers and trade unions in a number of platforms and has been actively engaged in policy work at both Regional and Global level through championing concerns and interests of workers on key areas including Just Transition, Green Jobs, NDC implementation, Renewable Energy for Africa, Greening the Workplace and other initiatives and campaigns. The Africa Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) represents 16 million workers around the continent and is headquartered in Lome, Togo. The organization is part of the ITUC which is headquartered in Brussels and represents 200 million workers in 163 countries and territories and has 332 national affiliates. Ms. Boateng holds a Master’s Degree in Labor Policies and Globalization from the University of Kassel and Berlin School of Economics and Law in Germany
International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
Bert De Wel is an ecological economist who has been working on the nexus between social and environmental issues for more than 25 years. He spend 4 years working for an NGO in Chile, worked for the Flemish Environment administration and at the cabinet of environment ministers in Belgium. During nearly ten years he was environment and energy advisor for the Belgian union ACV-CSC. After a short stay with the Just Transition Centre, he became the climate policy officer at the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) in 2018. In this function, he is the head of the union delegation at the UNFCCC climate negotiations and the focal point for the workers and unions group at UNFCCC, UNEP and the Green Climate Fund (GCF). He participated in the negotiations on the ILO Just Transition Guidelines in 2015 and is member of the International Technical Group at the ILO for the Climate Action for Jobs initiative.
Find out more about the Major Groups Facilitation Committee’s (MGFC) mandate in its Terms of References.
