UNOPS supports partners to build a better future
by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and
sustainability of peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects. Mandated as a central resource of the United
Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and
infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United
Nations organizations.
New York Service Cluster (NYSC) supports the
United Nations Secretariat, as well as other New York-based United Nations
organizations, bilateral and multilateral partners in the delivery of UNOPS
mandate in project management, infrastructure management, and procurement
management
Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC) supports
diverse partners with their peacebuilding, humanitarian and development
operations. It was formed by combining the following portfolios: Grants
Management Services (GMS), UN Technology Support Services (UNTSS), Development
and Special Initiatives Portfolio (DSIP) It provides Services to partners'
programmes that are designed, structured, and managed with a global perspective
and primarily serving partners that are headquartered in New York. The SDC has a footprint of approximately 125
countries.
UNDP’s Global Programme on Nature for
Development brings together four different initiatives -- the New York
Declaration on Forests Global Platform, the Equator Initiative, and the
National Biodiversity Initiative, and Learning for Nature under one program in
order to identify, foster, showcase and celebrate nature-based solutions that
help achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at local, national,
and international levels. The work of the Global Programme on Nature for
Development contributes to UNDP's Strategic Plan 2018-2021 by charting
sustainable development pathways through the conservation, restoration and
sustainable management of biodiversity and ecosystems; and by promoting
inclusive and effective democratic governance in the area of natural resources.
The Equator Initiative brings together the
United Nations, governments, civil society, businesses and grassroots
organizations to recognize and advance local sustainable development solutions
for people, nature and resilient communities. The Equator Initiative seeks to:
-
Identify and recognize the success of Indigenous and local initiatives,
-
Create opportunities and platforms to share knowledge and good practice,
-
Inform policy to foster an enabling environment for Indigenous and local
community action, and
-
Develop the capacity of Indigenous peoples and local communities to scale-up
their impact.
The Global Platform for the New York Declaration
on Forests (NYDF) is a partnership of governments, multinational companies,
civil society and Indigenous peoples who strive to end deforestation by 2030.
The NYDF outlines ten ambitious global targets related to protecting and
restoring forests. The Global Platform for the New York Declaration on Forests
seeks to fill an important gap in multi-stakeholder engagement and
collaboration necessary to achieve the goals of the NYDF. The Platform works to
increase ambition, forge new partnerships and accelerate progress on the NYDF
goals by responding to NYDF endorsers’ requests for a dedicated,
multi-stakeholder platform to re-invigorate political endorsement of the NYDF,
to facilitate coordination and communication, to share best practices,
resources and lessons, and to support ongoing monitoring of progress.
The National Biodiversity Initiative supports
countries to manage their ecosystems and biodiversity to improve national
planning and governance of biodiversity, ecosystems, and development, and to
promote resilience for sustainable development. The National Biodiversity
Initiative works in three project areas to support countries in their
commitments to the Convention on Biological Diversity: National Biodiversity
Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) Support, National Reporting, and Capacity
Building. The use of spatial data for spatial planning is an important
cross-cutting theme across these project areas,
including our flagship platform UN
Biodiversity Lab and our
work to map Essential Life Support Areas (ELSAs). The UN Biodiversity Lab,
created in partnership with UN Environment and the
Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, provides policymakers
with access to 100 of the world’s best spatial datasets on nature, climate, and
sustainable development for planning, monitoring, and reporting. Building on
this base, our work to map ELSAs brings together the world’s best scientists and
governments in 11 pilot countries to use spatial data to identify where
nature-based actions to protect, manage, or restore ELSAs can deliver
efficiently across national priorities for biodiversity, climate, and
sustainable development.. A nascent area of work is building the spatial
literacy of Indigenous peoples and local communities and ensuring their
participation in spatial planning.
Knowledge Sharing is a main goal of the Equator
Initiative, the National Biodiversity Initiative, and NYDF. The Equator
Initiative has a large series of research papers, books, and other publications
focusing on local approaches to poverty reduction and conservation, informed by
community-based initiatives. 180 case studies in over 30 languages have
documented the Equator Prize winners’ innovative practices that deliver the
win-win-win solutions that ensure social, economic, and environmental
sustainability. The National Biodiversity Initiative works with partners to
share knowledge on the role of spatial data in biodiversity planning,
policymaking, and reporting through story maps, blogs, Google Earth stories,
articles etc. The NYDF Global Platform aims to use case studies about NYDF
endorsers from a variety of stakeholder groups, including companies,
governments, Indigenous peoples and NGOs in order to share challenges and best
practices in implementing the NYDF goals.
Learning for Nature is a capacity-building offer
provided by the Global Programme on Nature for Development, cutting across the
three areas of work. This programme connects biodiversity policymakers,
change-makers, and on-the-ground subject matter experts to facilitate the
delivery of the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Aichi Biodiversity
Targets, and the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development
Goals. Access to the global multi-stakeholder networks mobilized by the NYDF,
the Equator Initiative, and the National Biodiversity Initiative allows
Learning for Nature to circulate knowledge while promoting best practices.
Building on our learnings on the ground, we seek synergies, build linkages, and
engage thousands of course participants on their journey towards sustainable
development solutions for people, nature, and resilient communities. Learning
for Nature builds capacity to scale up efforts for nature-based sustainable
development through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), webinars, self-paced
e-learning modules, podcasts, and private training courses.
For further information please go to: www.equatorinitiative.org, www.nbsapforum.net, www.learningfornature.org, http://www.unbiodiversitylab.org/, or www.nydfglobalplatform.org.