Introduction to Environmental Governance

Quiz 1

false one ll NGOs who work in the environmental field have a consultative status with UN agencies
and participate in MEAs negotiations.
What does transparency mean in the context of good environmental governance? Transparency
means that the decision-making processes and the enforcement of decisions follow rules and
regulations.
Are NGOs a major actor in the field of IEG? Yes, NGOs are a major actor in IEG and they are
especially active in environmental issues.
Read carefully the following statements and select the false one: Only the United Nations participate
in IEG as it is the only International Organization at global level.
Implementation of international environmental obligations at national level may be difficult due to
the fact that States may not have the necessary human and financial resources. True'.
Quiz 2
The Secretariat to an MEA is the supreme decision-making body of the respective agreement. False
Read Carefully the following statements about the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and select
the right one: All of the above are right.
Does UNEP have any responsibility in implementation of international environmental law? Yes,
UNEP hosts and supports many MEA Secretariats, facilities capacity building programmes and
assists developing countries in implementing environmental policies.
The UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was established with the main objective of
settling international environmental disputes. False
NGOs can influence international law and policy processes in IEG by campaigning and raising
public pressure on government and international organizations. True'.
The importance of the UN in IEG has developed in spite of the fact that there is no reference to
environmental concerns in the UN Charter. True'.
According to the UNEP/IGM/1/2 document, the UN specialized agencies whose mandate relates to
environmental issues are FAO, UNESCO, WHO, WMO, ILO, IMO, ICAO, IAEA.
MEAs do not contain any dispute settlement provisions. False'.
The Conference of Parties to MEAs and MEA Secretariats are also responsible for implementing
environmental obligations. True'.
The scientific community identifies new and/or pressuring environmental concerns and brings them
to the attention of policy-makers in order for them to consider political and legal responses. 'True'.
Quiz 3
Regional organizations can serve as effective mechanism for dealing with environmental challenges
at the domestic and regional level and enforce the web of International Environmental Governance.
However, the global effect of some environmental issues (climate change, desertification, depletion
of ozone layer etc) requires a concerted and collaborative action at the global level. True'.
The Andean Community is a trade bloc comprised of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru that does
not have any competence to face environmental and sustainable development regional issues. False'.
The OECD is a regional organisation With European member states and states from other regions of
the world
The European Union has been a regional organisation with both economic and environmental
objectives since its very beginning. False'.
Do regional organizations contribute to IEG? Yes, regional organizations contribute to IEG through
their own programmes, legislation and through participation in global and regional accords.

Quiz 4
One of shortcomings of the current IEG regime consists in the insufficient commitment of States to
MEAs. True'.
Sustainable development is a concept which balances Economic, social and environmental aspects
Following the Conference Rio+20 UNEP was upgraded and now has an unlimited mandate for
environmental protection. True'.
Some crucial criteria relevant for strengthening IEG imply to strive for coherence (eliminate
inconsistencies of policies), comprehensiveness (choose a holistic approach in IEG), efficiency
(avoid duplication of structures) and effectiveness (outcome). 'True'.
UNEP is the central pillar of international environmental policy-making but does not hold the full
authority and resources necessary to fulfill this task. True'.