Mandate and governance of
the New United Nations
Committee of Experts
1
Background
• UNCEEA’s mandate and terms of reference
were adopted by the United Nations
Statistical Commission in 2006
• The Conference on Climate Change and
Official Statistics recommended expanding
the mandate and name of the UNCEEA to
cover also environment statistics and in
particular to oversee the development of
climate-change related statistics
2
Name
United Nations Committee of Experts on
Environmental Accounting and Statistics
(UNCEEAS)
Mandate
The mandate of the UNCEEAS are, in environment statistics and
environmental-economic accounting:
• to provide strategic vision, direction and coordination to
mainstream environment statistics and environmentaleconomic accounting
• to develop normative international statistical standards and
supporting methodological documents
• to promote the development of integrated databases at
international, regional and national level
• to promote the implementation of international statistical
standards in countries
• to promote the use of official statistics in scientific and
policy-making communities
Programme of work
• Coordination
• Foster coordination, integration and
complementarity of programmes in
environment statistics and environmentaleconomic accounting among international and
regional agencies and countries
• Methodological development for normative
standards and other research
• Oversee the methodological development of
environment statistics as well as
environmental-economic accounting
5
Programme of work (2)
• Development of integrated databases
• Ensure that international data collection activities are carried
out in line with the standard(s) and the accompanying
international recommendations
• Implementation
• Develop a concerted implementation strategy
• Promotion
• Promote the role of the statistical systems in providing good
quality, relevant and timely information
• Formualtion of statistical response on emerging issues
• Engage more prominently in the international debate and
articulate a statistical response based on the international
statistical standards
Governance
UN Statistical
Commission
BODIES OF THE UNCEEAS
Bureau UNCEEAS
Stakeholders from national
and international statistical
system and users1
UNCEEAS
Advisory Group
Technical Expert
Groups2
City Groups3
Programmes, projects
and resources4
UNCEEAS
•
Tasks of the UNCEEAS are:
•
Strategic planning, including providing strategic
direction to the projects and ensuring their
complementarity and proper coordination;
•
Programming and monitoring, including agreeing
with the work plan, schedule, communication
strategy and budget of the projects
•
Reporting, including reporting to the Statistical
Commission on the projects within its mandate
•
Resource mobilization, including ensuring that
projects are adequately resourced
UNCEEAS composition
•
•
•
High-level experts from national
governments and international
organizations with a broad range of
experience in statistics and the use of the
accounts
Selected so as to ensure equitable regional
representation
Size: 25 members
Bureau
• Executing those tasks and activities inbetween meetings for which it has received
delegated authority by the UNCEEAS
• Oversight and day-to-day management of
the projects
• Members are senior members of the
UNCEEAS from national and international
organizations
Chair
•
Elected from among its members for 3
years
• Tasks of the chair are:
• Develop a multi-year and an annual
work programme for the UNCEEAS
• Monitor progress of the various
components of the programme
• Set the agenda for the meetings
Secretariat
•
Tasks of the Secretariat are:
•
Circulate decisions to countries and/or regional and
other expert meetings for discussion
•
Manage the UNCEEAS website
•
Prepare the correspondence with the Statistical
Commission members and national statistical offices
•
Prepare reports to the Statistical Commission on
behalf of the UNCEEAS and its Bureau
•
Provide logistical and other support to the
UNCEEAS and its Bureau
Advisory Group
• Body of the UNCEEAS
• Supports the UNCEEAS in its deliberations on
normative and methodological matters
• Advise UNCEEAS on proposals on
methodological issues
• Members are experts in environment statistics and
environmental-economic accounting and/or
specific subject matters
• Membership reflects balanced geographical
representations
Questions to the UNCEEA
1.
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3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
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10.
11.
Do you agree with the proposed name of the Committee “United
Nations Committee of Experts on Environmental Accounting and
Statistics” (UNCEEAS)?
Do you agree with the new mandate of the UNCEEAS [para 4]?
Do you agree with the programme of work of the UNCEEAS [para 5]?
Do you agree with the overall governance arrangements [Figure 1]?
Do you agree with the role of the UNCEEAS [paras 8-10]?
Do you agree with the composition of the UNCEEAS [paras 11-14]?
Do you agree with the role of the Bureau [paras 15-17]?
Do you agree with the role of the Chair [para 18]?
Do you agree with the role of the Secretariat [para 19]?
Do you agree with the establishment of the Advisory Group on
Environmental Accounting and Statistics [para 20-22]?
Is it necessary to reconsider the terms of reference of existing groups
with the establishment of the Advisory Group? Do you agree that the
London Group on Environmental Accounting evolves into the Advisory
Group?