GEO-6 Review Editing Process: Supporting the Sixth Edition of the Global Environment Outlook (GEO-6) Process
The Global Environment Outlook (GEO) is UNEP’s flagship report on the environment, produced every 4 years, as part of its mandate to ‘keep the environment under review’. CEDARE provided support to the sixth edition of the assessment in many ways, most notably by leading the review editing process, as well as the dissemination of the report’s findings. As co-leaders of the assessment’s review editing team, CEDARE provided oversight on the review process with a view to ensuring and enhancing the transparency of the review process, and the integrity and credibility of the report. This included assisting the GEO secretariat in constructing the review editor team, preparing final reports on each review cycle, proposing a comment categorization framework; and developing an online database for managing, and providing multicriteria analysis of, comments, author responses, and reviewer metadata together. To ensure broad availability of the GEO-6 findings to all stakeholders and governments, GEO-6 was translated into the six official UN languages. In this regard, CEDARE produced the quality-controlled, professionally laid-out, Arabic translation of the GEO-6 report, and supported its dissemination in the Arab region.
The Review Editors oversee the review process of designated sections of the GEO-6 report. They are responsible for ensuring that all substantive review comments are considered appropriately by the Writing Teams. They prepare written summaries of the most significant issues raised by reviewers. They may also be asked by the Secretariat to monitor and review the use and consideration of grey literature, including the integration of local and indigenous knowledge sources. They should be available to respond to the SAP’s queries about the review process and prepare final reports for the GEO Secretariat.
Partners
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), League of Arab States (LAS)
Region / Country
Global, Arab Region
Objectives
- Lead the review editing process and to develop a web-based portal to manage and analyse the review process of the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) report
- Ensure that all substantive expert and government review comments are appropriately considered by the Writing Teams during the review process of the Global Environment Outlook (GEO-6) report
- The Review Editors aim to provide quality assurance and oversight on the review process, rather than reviewing the content itself
- The portal intends to facilitate the management of a large number of comments, enhancing the productivity of reviewers, and monitoring the progress of comment processing by authors.
- Enhanced integrity and credibility of the GEO-6 assessment
- Dissemination and outreach of the findings of the GEO-6 main report in the Arabic-speaking region
Timeline
From – To 2018 – 2022
Outcomes
The project ensures a thorough and meticulous review process for the GEO-6 report. It upholds the quality of the review process, ensures the integration of expert and government comments, and promotes the use of diverse information sources including grey literature and indigenous knowledge. The final reports prepared by the Review Editors provide valuable insights into the review process for the GEO Secretariat.
The specific outcomes are as follows:
- Organizing the Joint Scientific Advisory Panel and Review Editors’ Meeting, Cairo, Egypt, 7-12 October 2018
- Prototype Global Environment Outlook – Review Editors Analytical Database (GEO-READ)
- Presenting the GEO-6 findings in several national and regional forums.
- Arabic language GEO-6 main report.
- Organizing the official launch of the GEO-6 report in the Arab region, at the headquarters of the League of Arab States, Cairo, Egypt, 21 July 2022
Publications/website/portal
برنامج الأمم المتحدة للبيئة. توقعات البيئة العالمية – التقرير السادس: كوكب سليم، أناس أصحاء. 9781108627146DOI 10.1017/. برنامج الأمم المتحدة للبيئة، نيروبي (2019).
https://www.unep.org/resources/assessment/global-environment-outlook-6-other-language-versions
Third Order Draft, Review Editors Report October, 2018
Relevance to SDGs
This project supports the achievement of SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 15 (Life on Land) by improving assessment and monitoring of the environment. The improved environmental monitoring and knowledge sharing contributes to sustainable infrastructure, climate action, marine and terrestrial ecosystem conservation, and halting biodiversity loss. It would also support SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by disseminating key environmental findings to diverse global audiences. Widening access to environmental knowledge across languages assists education and capacity building. Partnerships strengthen implementation and global cooperation on sustainability.
The READ platform supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by enhancing the quality, transparency, and efficiency of environmental assessments such as the GEO report. These assessments are crucial for informed decision-making towards achieving various SDGs. In particular, the insights derived from the GEO report, facilitated by the READ platform, directly support SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 15 (Life on Land), and indirectly support all 17 SDGs by providing comprehensive and reliable environmental data and assessments.
