SCAR is pleased to announce it has received accreditation from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
SCAR plans to utilise the UNEP accreditation to better connect with, share knowledge with, and learn from other organisations working across many different sectors in the field of environment.
Accreditation will allow SCAR, including SCAR groups, to engage in UNEP policy dialogues and in the work of bodies such as the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) and the Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR).
Leading up to the UNEA sessions of UNEP, SCAR will have the opportunity to:
- Participate in the Regional Consultation Meetings to prepare for the Assembly;
- Contribute to the development of UNEP and Assembly Regional Civil Society Statements;
- Receive unedited working documents of the UNEA simultaneously with the CPR;
- Submit written contributions to these unedited working documents to the UN Environment Secretariat for distribution to Governments through the CPR;
- Participate in public meetings of the CPR, the Assembly, and the Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum.
During the session of the Environment Assembly, SCAR will have the opportunity to:
- Attend the plenary sessions of the Committee of the Whole and the Ministerial Consultations as observers, and engage with Governments;
- Circulate written statements to Governments as information documents through the UNEP secretariat;
- Make oral statements during the discussions of the UNEA.
SCAR works predominantly in the field of environment, with three Scientific Research Programmes and over 30 subgroups investigating diverse aspects of Antarctic research across the physical sciences, life sciences, geological sciences, humanities, and social sciences.
Although Antarctica is often perceived as being isolated from the rest of the world, it is in fact intricately connected to the wider Earth system. Therefore, it is vitally important that SCAR, as the lead organisation coordinating international research in and around Antarctica, is linked up to global dialogue on environmental protection.
SCAR groups interested in finding out more about the possibilities arising from accreditation and in engaging with UNEP should contact the SCAR secretariat in the first instance via [email protected].