United Nations Activities on Environment and Sustainability

With the growing need for global environmental governance, the United Nations has been playing a leading role for more than half a century
The IEF has documented, and sometimes participated, in UN environment and sustainability activities
in reverse chronological order

MAJOR UN EVENTS

SUMMIT OF THE FUTURE 2024

United Nations, New York, 22-23 September 2024

On Civil Society and Enduring Relationships, Daniel Perell, Bahá'í International Community Perspectives, 17 October 2024

Summit of the Future - Report, IEF, 22-23 September 2024

Bahá'í International Community at the Summit of the Future, 19-22 September 2024

From Consultation to Effective Action: Reflections on the ‘Road to the Summit’ Discussion Series, Perspective by Daniel Perell, representative of the BIC to the UN, 16 September 2024

Embracing interdependence key to peace and prosperity, Bahá'í International Community, statement to UN Summit of the Future, 4 September 2024

Open Letter on the United Nations Pact for the Future, C4UN, 19 July 2024

A human rights economy, Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, The Guardian 2 July 2024

UN reform for Sustainable Development Goals, Sustainable Development Report 2024, released 17 June 2024

People's Pact for the Future, Drafts open for initial review through 1 April 2024, 22 March 2024

Science, Innovation and Digital Technology, Policy Brief, background for Chapter 3, People's Pact for the Future, Arthur Lyon Dahl and Soon-Young Yoon, 22 March 2024

A bold and visionary Pact for the Future, Dan Perell, Bahá'í International Community, 21 February 2024

Zero Draft to Create a Pact for the Future, Coalition for the UN We Need, 7 February 2024

IEF submission to the Summit of the Future, 25 December 2023

A Tale of Two Summits, BIC Calls for Synergy Between SDGs and Summit of the Future, New York, 3 August 2023

Interim People’s Pact for the Future, 2023 Civil Society Perspectives on the Summit of the Future prepared by the Coalition for the UN We Want (C4UN) 21 May 2023

Thinking about the Summit of the Future, Arthur Dahl discusses global environmental governance for the Global Governance Forum, 12 May 2023

Summit of the Future: What would it deliver?, United Nations, 2023

Climate Change COP28 2023

UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, 28th Conference of the Parties, Dubai, UAE, 30 November-13 December 2023

COP28 and Climate Governance, COP28 highlights the need for fundamental transformations in climate governance, Maja Groff, Convenor of the Climate Governance Commission, 15 December 2023

Faith for Climate: A Call to Action, Inspired by the Interfaith Statement signed by Pope Francis, Ahmed El-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, and around 30 religious leaders and representatives from a range of traditions, the Faith Pavilion at COP28 put forth this Call to Action on 3 December 2023.

United Nations Ocean Conference 2022, Lisbon, Portugal, 27 June-1 July 2022

UN Stockholm+50 International Meeting

A Healthy Planet for the Prosperity of All – Our Responsibility, Our Opportunity, 2-3 June 2022

Stockholm+50: Only One Earth, 50 years since the 1972 Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment
14 January 2022

Human Right to a Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment

Human Right to a Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment, David Boyd, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, 8 April 2022

GA approves Human Right to a Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment, 28 July 2022

UN Climate Change Conference COP26, Glasgow, Scotland, 1-5 November 2021
and IEF 25th Conference associated events

UN Climate Change Conference ( ) Paris, 30 November-11 December 2015
and IEF events

United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20)

and 16th IEF Annual Conference
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 16-19 June 2012

Summary outcomes of Rio+20, September 2012

IEF Statements for Rio+20, 9 June 2012

Invitation to join and contribute to Rio+20 Dialogues on Sustainable Development
1 May 2012

IEF course proposal for Rio+20
16 March 2012

Comment on the Rio+20 zero draft, 13 January 2012, with IEF input

Preparations for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio 2012)
5 November 2011

IEF submission to the Bureau of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), 25 October 2011

World Summit on Sustainable Development

and IEF 6th Conference
Johannesburg, South Africa, 27 August-3 September 2002

United Nations Conference on Environment and Development

Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992
produced Agenda 21, an action plan for sustainable development (IEF President was in the UNCED Secretariat and helped to draft Agenda 21)

UN Conference on the Human Environment

Stockholm, Sweden, 5-16 June 1972
(The IEF did not exist in 1972, but the IEF President was there representing the Bahá'í International Community)

NEWS AND POSTS

>UN reform for Sustainable Development Goals, Sustainable Development Report 2024, released 17 June 2024

We Must Face the Risks to the World’s Future – Now, Arthur Lyon Dahl and Augusto Lopez-Claros on Baha'iTeachings.org, 7 December 2023

Governing Our Planetary Emergency, Climate Governance Commission Report, launched 28 November 2023

Mobilizing an Earth Governance Alliance, strengthening global governance to protect the environment, 28 November 2023

Ocean Governance: management of marine resources, food security and sustainable development, Paris, 16-17 November 2023

Global framework agreed to address harm from chemicals and waste, United Nations Environment Programme, 30 September 2023

UN Summits Week 2023, SDG Summit, Climate Ambition Summit, Preparatory Meeting SOTF, 18-22 September 2023

In pursuit of hope, blog by Arthur Dahl for UN high-level General Assembly week, 16-22 September 2023

A Second Charter: Imagining a Renewed United Nations, a High-Level UNGA 2023 Side Event, 19 September 2023, and Statement from the Global Governance Forum, 24 August 2023

A Tale of Two Summits, BIC Calls for Synergy Between SDGs and Summit of the Future, 3 August 2023

The Peoples' Environment Narrative, 50 Years with UNEP and Civil Society Towards Stockholm+50 and Beyond, book launch 5 June 2023

, Interim People’s Pact for the Future, 21 May 2023

How forests benefit people and planet, UN Forum on Forests, 8-12 May 2023

Valuing What Counts: Framework to Progress Beyond GDP, UN Secretary-General, Our Common Agenda Policy Brief no. 4, May 2023

United Nations System Common Principles on Future Generations, endorsed by the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination, 4 May 2023

Sustainable Development Goals Progress Report, remarks of the Secretary-General, 25 April 2023 (excerpts)

A Breakthrough for People and Planet: Effective and Inclusive Global Governance for Today and the Future, UN High Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism, Report released 25 April 2023, summary of environmental proposals to which IEF members contributed.

Global Futures Forum calls for UN Reforms to address emerging 21st Century challenges, New York and online, 20-21 March 2023

Conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction – BBNJ, 20 February – 4 March 2023, UN Headquarters, New York

Confluence of Crises: Warnings by the UN Secretary-General, blog by Arthur Lyon Dahl, 21 February 2023

Risks from sea level rise, UN Security Council debate, 14 February 2023

Planned science-policy panel on chemicals, wastes and pollution, UNEA Open-ended Working Group, February 2023

Global Biodiversity Framework Adopted, Convention on Biological Diversity, Montreal, Canada, 18 December 2022

The Right Time for UN Reform, outcome of an event organized by the Bahá'í International Community, New York, 1 November 2022

IEF Input on Water to Preparatory Meeting for UN 2023 Water Conference, submitted 27 October 2022

WHO People-Planet-Health Action Board, IEF participation in new World Health Organization initiative for health promotion, 20 October 2022

Biodiversity Values Assessment, Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), 1 August 2022

Human Right to a Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment approved by UN General Assembly, 28 July 2022

Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022, United Nations Statistics Division, 7 July 2022

Reflections on Stockholm+50, blog by Arthur Dahl, 13 June 2022

Interfaith Prayers for the success of Stockholm+50, 1 June 2022

Stockholm+50 side event with UN agencies, 2 June 2022

Stockholm+50 Interfaith Statement, 24 May 2022

Accelerating integrated action for a healthy planet and prosperity of all, Stockholm+50 Side Event with IEF President Arthur Dahl, 23 May 2022

From Stockholm and back, Portrait of Arthur Dahl in Sveriges Natur (in Swedish), 27 April 2022

Humanity at a Crossroads – Breakdown or Breakthrough, Civil Society Declaration for Stockholm+50, 16 March 2022

First IEF contribution to Stockholm+50, 10 March 2022

Only One Earth Science, website with graphics, 11 February 2022

Foreseeing the Future of Our Responsibility and Opportunity, UN Environment Management Group Nexus Dialogues, November 2021

Stockholm+50: Only One Earth, 22 November 2021

Human Right to a Healthy Environment, adopted by Human Rights Council, 8 October 2021

Stockholm+50, 1 June 2021

Stockholm+50: some reflections, Arthur Dahl, 15 April 2021

Bahá'í International Community launches UN75 statement, 22 October 2020

A Governance Befitting: Humanity and the Path Toward a Just Global Order, Bahá'í International Community Statement on the United Nations 75th anniversary, 21 September 2020

UN at 75: Prospects and Potentials: The Future We Want, Global online event, 3 September 2020

Progress report on UN75, 14 June 2020>

IEF Contribution to UN75, 31 March 2020>

Endorse our proposals for UN reform, Together1st, 10 March 2020>

Civil Society Declaration for UN75, 20 February 2020>

Negotiations on UN75 declaration, 11 February 2020>

UN75 Launched, 3 January 2020>

UN Secretariat Reform on Sustainable Development, 8 June 2018

UNECE Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, 1-2 March 2018

UN Environment and Faith-Based Organizations, Nairobi, 30 November 2017

Why should the UN and in particular UN Environment Engage More with Faith-based Organizations?, Arthur Dahl for UNEP Perspectives, February 2017

UN Independent Expert on Human Rights and the Environment, July 2014

Inequality between rich and poor, Baha'i International Community Statement to the UN Commission on Social Development 6 February 2012

Report of the UN Global Sustainability Panel, 30 January 2012

UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) 2005-2014, and UNESCO Global Action Programme for education for sustainable development 2014-