JEU Advocacy Strategy 1 Advocacy Strategy Draft 1. Introduction The Joint United Nations Environment Programme/Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Environment Unit (JEU) responds to environmental emergencies by coordinating international efforts and mobilizing partners to assist affected countries requesting assistance. By pairing the environmental expertise of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the humanitarian response network coordinated by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the JEU ensures an integrated approach in responding to environmental emergencies. 2. Rationale The JEU is committed to increase advocacy efforts to raise awareness of the potential impacts of environmental emergencies and the need for action to improve preparedness, response, and attention to the environment during humanitarian crises. The scope and impact of JEU s advocacy efforts are improving. This is reflected by the high levels of engagement and participation at events organised by the JEU last year the 2013 Advisory Group on Environmental Emergencies Forum and the 3 rd edition of the Green Star Awards. There is a need to build on this momentum, both in the public domain, within UNEP and OCHA and in the international policy arena. Currently, advocacy is carried out through multiple activities; events, publications, videos, conferences, websites, and social media but there is no formal framework that sets a strategic direction and priorities. An advocacy strategy will help prioritise those actions that will make the most impact. 3. Objectives The objectives of the advocacy strategy are to: Communicate the importance of environmental emergencies to decision-makers Generate support and partnerships for our work Change attitudes within OCHA and UNEP (show that EE should be part of their work in the humanitarian and environmental fields) 4. Target audiences As a first step, it is suggested to focus on JEU s core supporters, OCHA, and UNEP (ensuring that JEU advocacy efforts are embedded in organisation-wide efforts), in order to have a more focused, more targeted and more effective approach. 5. Key stakeholders SAGEE members, affected states, UN member states, regional organisations, OCHA, UNEP, IASC members. Support from the private sector (industry groups) should also be solicited. 7. Core messages Vision: Our vision is for countries to be better prepared, more resilient and able to effectively respond to environmental emergencies. Mission: Mobilise and coordinate a comprehensive response to environmental emergencies to protect lives, livelihoods, ecosystems, and future generations.
JEU Advocacy Strategy 2 8. Key messages Response: The impact of disasters is increasing due to climate change and urbanisation. There will always be a need for international cooperation to ensure effective and appropriate response. The JEU is ready to rapidly mobilize and deploy experts and equipment to the affected area. Preparedness: It is possible to be better prepared and to better respond to environmental emergencies. The JEU works to strengthen capacity at the individual, national, regional and global level to prevent, prepare for and respond better to the environmental emergencies which occur. Environment in Humanitarian Action: Environment, conflict and disasters interface in many complex ways. Integrating environmental considerations into the humanitarian programmatic cycle is key to ensuring a holistic approach to humanitarian assistance. The JEU is promoting the integration of environmental considerations in humanitarian operations to improve its effectiveness, accountability, and sustainability. Specific key messages for specific events are detailed in Annex 1 (page 3). 9. Tactics This advocacy strategy will be implemented through communication materials (factsheets, posters, and publications), public speaking (training, workshops and conferences), videos and events (Environmental Emergencies Forum and Green Star Awards). It is recommended to build on the JEU 20 year anniversary (to be celebrated on 1 July 2014). For this occasion, a 20 year anniversary banner is being designed and will be added to the JEU s staff electronic signature and a poster will be displayed in the JEU s offices. In addition, several actions could be considered to celebrate this event: 1. Suggest to OCHA and UNEP staff to add the JEU s 20 year banner to their electronic signature 2. Have the JEU s 20 year poster/roll-up displayed during the UNEA and ECOSOC 3. Do a press release on JEU s 20 year (to be posted by OCHA and UNEP on the 1 st of July) 4. Have Achim Steiner and Valerie Amos send a note to Ban Ki-moon on the 1 st of July 5. If 4. is impossible, send a note to USG and UNEP ED signed by Rashid Khalikov and Henrik Slotte 6. Make a short video on JEU s 20 year to be posted on unocha.org and unep.org 10. Implementation and timeline This advocacy strategy will be implemented through JEU s activities planned up to the 2015 Environmental Emergencies Forum. Key events of interest for the JEU are detailed in Annex 2 (page 4). Participation or presence to these events should be sought. 11. Performance indicators Increased awareness of JEU s work among OCHA and UNEP (HQ and Regional offices) Level and number of participation to the 2015 Environmental Emergencies Forum and Green Star Awards 12. Impact evaluation The impact of this strategy can be measured by filling the impact evaluation table in Annex 3 (page 5).
JEU Advocacy Strategy 3 ANNEX 1. KEY MESSAGES FOR KEY EVENTS Target Audience / Specific events Potential Impact Action Requested Possible content and format of key messages How (place) and when (time) of delivery General public / GSA Public awareness raising Get more attention Increase our network of committed persons/organisations/partners ECOSOC / Member States EHA Awareness, linkages. Funding for prodoc. Partnership (stand-by). Adopt an environmental funding criteria Financial contributions Environment is critical for effective, sustainable and accountable humanitarian response. Provide examples Panel discussion Diner or lunch? (To discuss in greater details) EEF (should we focus on one overarching message/theme?) Demonstrate that there are different shapes in Environment & humanitarian action. Breaking silos between Response/ Preparedness/ EHA. Have others advocate for the JEU (trainings, etc.) Networking and partnership. Promote international cooperation in the preparedness and response stages of an environmental emergency, while advocating for the integration of environmental concerns into humanitarian action and early recovery programming, particularly in developing countries.
JEU Advocacy Strategy 4 ANNEX 2. EVENTS OF INTEREST FOR THE JEU IN 2014 AND 2015 MAY 2014 SAGEE Meeting 15-16 May Oslo JUNE 2014 World Environment Day 5 June Regional Consultation on World Humanitarian Summit West and Central Africa 19-20 June Côte d Ivoire UN Environmental Assembly Meeting 23-27 June Nairobi, Kenya ECOSOC Humanitarian Affairs Segment 23-25 June New York Good Humanitarian Donorship High Level Meeting 26 June New York JULY 2014 Regional Consultation on World Humanitarian Summit North and South East Asia 23-24 July Japan Preparatory Meeting for the 2015 Sendai World Conference To be confirmed Geneva AUGUST 2014 World Humanitarian Day 19 Aug Geneva, Switzerland IDRC Davos 2014: 5th International disaster and risk conference 24-28 Aug Davos, Switzerland OCTOBER 2014 Regional Consultation on World Humanitarian Summit South and East Africa To be confirmed To be confirmed DECEMBER 2014 20th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC 3-14 Dec Peru 1st QUARTER 2015 Regional Consultation on World Humanitarian Summit Eastern Europe, Western Europe and Others ; Middle East and North Africa To be confirmed To be confirmed MARCH 2015 Regional Consultation on World Humanitarian Summit Latin America and the Caribbean To be confirmed Guatemala 3rd United Nations World Conference on DRR 14-18 March Sendai, Japan 2 nd and 3rd QUARTER 2015 Regional Consultation on World Humanitarian Summit Pacific Region; South & Central Asia To be confirmed Guatemala MAY 2015 EEF 2015 (Environmental Emergencies Forum) and Green Star Awards 5-7 June (tbc) Oslo, Norway
JEU Advocacy Strategy 5 ANNEX 3. MONITORING AND EVALUATION Dimensions of change Short-term/ Early outcomes Intermediate outcomes Long-term outcomes Individual outcomes/ Direct benefits/ Behavioural change Policy/Practice/Laws Improved participation Processes (people doing things differently) Collaborative working/civil society/ Coalitions/Networks Funding