The Environmental Governance Programme, EGP
The Environmental Governance Programme for Sustainable Natural Resource Management, EGP, supports natural resource-rich countries to integrate human rights and protection of the environment in the governance of the mining sector.
The Environmental Governance Programme is jointly implemented by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Swedish EPA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The programme is funded by The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).
Local, national, regional and global support
Launched in 2014, the EGP 2020–2023 is the second phase of the programme. In this phase the programme targets support to stakeholders in ten countries: Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Mongolia, Namibia, Peru, and Zambia.
EGP works with ministries, public agencies, human rights institutions, civil society, local communities, the private sector and other stakeholders in the mining sector.
The programme aims to have an impact on the drivers of conflict, environmental degradation, inequality, exclusion, and poverty.
Nationally, EGP encourage locally led processes that bring stakeholders together to advance and improve effective laws, regulations and institutional frameworks. On a community level, EGP works to enhance participation in decision-making and environmental monitoring. Regionally and globally the programme supports the exchange of innovative policy approaches and good practices across countries and regions.
Focus areas
EGP organises its activities in thematic areas. Addressed areas are artisanal and small scale mining, gender equality and women’s rights, climate and deforestation, mine closure and land rehabilitation and participatory environmental monitoring.
UNEP collaboration
The Partnership for Strengthened Internal Environmental Governance within the United Nations System is part of EGP. This project emanates from the UN Strategy for Sustainability Management 2020–2030. Within it the Swedish EPA identifies needs and manages project activities in collaboration with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) partners to support a strengthened and more systematic internal governance of environmental performance within the UN system.
UN entities are advised on how to establish environmental governance frameworks in UN programmes, projects, facilities, and operations and coordinate between agencies. For this purpose, a staff on loan from the Swedish EPA is placed with UNEP.
Project activities are concentrated within three major working areas:
- Environmental Management Systems (EMS) including a component on virtual meeting culture
- Environmental Sustainability within UN Programmes
- Reporting on Environmental Performance
Contact and more information
Would you like to know more about EGP? Please contact Programme Manager Malin Eriksson:
malin.eriksson@naturvardsverket.se
Environmental Governance Programme’s official website