To Invite Public Participation in the UNEP Survey on Military Activities and the Environment
- by: Subcommittee for Military Related Env'l Concerns, Vermont Law School's International Law Society
This October the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) plans to launch its most recent effort to characterize the challenges facing communities affected by military activities: a global survey on the environmental impacts of peacetime military activities. Unfortunately this survey may not reach many of the people that have crucial firsthand knowledge of the environmental problems affecting communities. Your signature gives the Executive Director of the UNEP one more reason to recommend that member States seek public comment when they participate in the survey, encouraging governments to work with political minorities when they present the challenges communities face in each country.
This petition is sponsored by the Subcommittee for Military Related Environmental Concerns of Vermont Law School's International Law Society. It represents the views of the individuals and groups mentioned within, and does not reflect the position of Vermont Law School.
This petition is sponsored by the Subcommittee for Military Related Environmental Concerns of Vermont Law School's International Law Society. It represents the views of the individuals and groups mentioned within, and does not reflect the position of Vermont Law School.
Achim Steiner
Executive Director of the United Nation Environmental Programme (UNEP)
Subject: CSOs Further Involvement in the UNEP Global Survey on Military Related Environmental Issues
Dear Dr. Achim Steiner,
We urge you to recommend that member States ask for public comments before they submit respones to the upcoming global survey on Mlitary activities and the environment, section 20 of Montevideo Programme III.
On February 4th of 2007 the UNEP hosted the 8th Global Civil Society Forum at its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, where participating Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) adopted a key message entitled War, Militarism and Environment.
In the message, CSOs urge the Executive Director of the UNEP:
- To survey globally the state of the environmental consequence from military activities during times of armed conflicts and "peacetime" with its member States, Civil Society Organizations and other relevant entities and individuals.
- To fully implement the program on "Military activities and the environment" which is Section 20 of the Programme for the Development and Periodic Review of Environmental Law for the First Decade of the Twenty-First Century (Montevideo Programme III).
The UNEP Division of Environmental Law and Convention will initiate the global survey on peacetime impacts of military activities this June, implementing Montevideo Programme III. We welcome this effort, particularly because the Division will solicit responses from member States and CSOs to review environmental problems and solutions related to military establishments. The Division is seeking input from CSOs with firsthand knowledge of these environmental problems, however it might be difficult for the UNEP to directly contact many grassroots organizations.
UNEP member states are in a unique position to make this survey reflect the impacts of military activities on their communities, and what they are doing to address them. The UNEP and the global community are interested in broad public involvement for this survey, including NGOs, local authorities, and affected communities. (See UNEP/MIL/4, 89.) Each member state may have unique access to these individuals and CSOs. Inviting public comment could not only involve these actors, building a more diverse response to the survey, but also increase awareness of these issues.
In light of this situation, we urge you, the Executive Director:
To recommend that each Member State of the UNEP use a participatory process that asks the public for comments in the process of developing its country report for the UNEP global survey on the application of environmental norms to military establishments of Montevideo Programme III.
Thank you very much for taking time to read our request.
Respectfully,
[Your (Organization's) Name]
[Your (Organization's) Address]
Sign PetitionSign PetitionExecutive Director of the United Nation Environmental Programme (UNEP)
Subject: CSOs Further Involvement in the UNEP Global Survey on Military Related Environmental Issues
Dear Dr. Achim Steiner,
We urge you to recommend that member States ask for public comments before they submit respones to the upcoming global survey on Mlitary activities and the environment, section 20 of Montevideo Programme III.
On February 4th of 2007 the UNEP hosted the 8th Global Civil Society Forum at its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, where participating Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) adopted a key message entitled War, Militarism and Environment.
In the message, CSOs urge the Executive Director of the UNEP:
- To survey globally the state of the environmental consequence from military activities during times of armed conflicts and "peacetime" with its member States, Civil Society Organizations and other relevant entities and individuals.
- To fully implement the program on "Military activities and the environment" which is Section 20 of the Programme for the Development and Periodic Review of Environmental Law for the First Decade of the Twenty-First Century (Montevideo Programme III).
The UNEP Division of Environmental Law and Convention will initiate the global survey on peacetime impacts of military activities this June, implementing Montevideo Programme III. We welcome this effort, particularly because the Division will solicit responses from member States and CSOs to review environmental problems and solutions related to military establishments. The Division is seeking input from CSOs with firsthand knowledge of these environmental problems, however it might be difficult for the UNEP to directly contact many grassroots organizations.
UNEP member states are in a unique position to make this survey reflect the impacts of military activities on their communities, and what they are doing to address them. The UNEP and the global community are interested in broad public involvement for this survey, including NGOs, local authorities, and affected communities. (See UNEP/MIL/4, 89.) Each member state may have unique access to these individuals and CSOs. Inviting public comment could not only involve these actors, building a more diverse response to the survey, but also increase awareness of these issues.
In light of this situation, we urge you, the Executive Director:
To recommend that each Member State of the UNEP use a participatory process that asks the public for comments in the process of developing its country report for the UNEP global survey on the application of environmental norms to military establishments of Montevideo Programme III.
Thank you very much for taking time to read our request.
Respectfully,
[Your (Organization's) Name]
[Your (Organization's) Address]
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