Hi everyone, Wow—thanks all, for a very helpful set of replies. Here are the illuminating responses in reverse chronological order, alternating green/orange:
Kia ora all, This is what I heard from a UNEP staff member of 25 years, currently working in an outposted office. It supports what Jonathan Krueger and Ken Conca have said already: "The term UN Environment was brought in by Erik Solheim, the Executive Director (ED) who joined in 2016 and resigned last month under a cloud. UN headquarters has never accepted the term UN Environment, nor did the UNEP governing body, the United Nations Environment Assembly. Any correspondence from the UN Secretary General's office only ever mentions United Nations Environment Programme or UNEP, never UN Environment. The day the ED resigned many of us gleefully returned to using UNEP. We hope that the incoming ED will revert to using the legally mandated and well-liked names." All good wishes, Wendy Jackson I’d also note that the new Secretary-General announcement for the organization’s Executive Director, uses the UNEP “brand” https://www.un.org/sg/sites/www.un.org.sg/files/files/fr/other-vacancies/UNEP-USG_EN.pdf <https://www.un.org/sg/sites/www.un.org.sg/files/files/fr/other-vacancies/UNEP-USG_EN.pdf> wil My understanding is that this was more of a re-branding exercise, than an actual (legal) name change. The (now departed) Executive Director when he started wanted fewer acronyms used and a more ''relatable'' public face for the organization. However, the name itself was not formally changed (though staff were instructed, as Ken says, to use it religiously) and some member states are on record as having not been so supportive of this (somewhat unilateral) re-branding exercise. Formal/legal documents (e.g. for UNEA, or contracts) still use UNEP. So no, should not be shunned for still saying UNEP as it is actually still the official name! Best, Jonathan Krueger My experience completely accords with Ken’s response! —sv The name is now UN Environment but they still use the acronym UNEP (see for example the just-released 2018 Emissions Gap report: https://www.unenvironment.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2018 <https://www.unenvironment.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2018> --in which the official/recommended citation is UNEP as author). In my experience the goal is to get people saying UN Environment, and staff will do so in presentations, press releases, etc, but UNEP is still in wide conversational use. Some folks on this list will recall all the gymnastics around IUCN name changes over the years, while preserving the acronym …kc This is indeed a current debate and many scholars and policymakers are finding it difficult to decide which name to use. I just convened a workshop on international environmental governance with the support of the Nordic Council of Ministers and during the two days we deliberated, we all used UNEP. The official name remains United Nations Environment Programme and UNEP is valid. Indeed, some governments strongly prefer not to use UN Environment. I think the broad consensus at the moment is that when you speak with people who know the system well and the organizations within it, you use UNEP. When you speak to a wider public and want to refer to the environmental organization in the UN system in a way that people who do not know the UN well can easily identify what you are talking about, you say UN Environment. Since Erik Solheim, the Executive Director who led the name change, has stepped down, it is not clear what will happen with the new name. I would therefore suggest that you use UN Environment Programme, UN Environment and UNEP depending on the audience. You will certainly not be shunned, avoided or socially ostracized for saying UNEP! ☺ I’d be glad to hear your own opinion about the various names and the reaction from students and others that you have experienced. Warm regards, Maria UNEP is fine. Most people with any experience in the organization will continue to call it that. UN Environment was the brainchild of Erik Solheim, who thought that it was more memorable and a better brand. Solheim, of course, is gone now, so it may be that the rebranding went with him! Even during Solheim's tenure, the name was never formally changed, UN reports continued to refer to UNEP, and many UN staffers did as well. I don't think you'll be shunned either way! Cheers, John H. Knox I call it Whatup. Is that wrong?? I’ll leave you all to guess who wrote the last (viz., first in) one…. Charlie Chester ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GEP-guide.net <http://gep-guide.net/> • BCI <http://batcon.org/> • Y2Y <http://y2y.net/> • Brandeis <http://www.brandeis.edu/programs/environmental/> • Fletcher <https://sites.tufts.edu/cierp/> > Begin forwarded message: > > From: Charles Chester <charles.ches...@gmail.com > <mailto:charles.ches...@gmail.com>> > Subject: "UNEP" vs. "UN Environment" in the real world > Date: December 4, 2018 at 5:46:12 PM EST > To: gep-ed@googlegroups.com <mailto:gep-ed@googlegroups.com> > > Hi gep-eders, > > I’ve not been to an international environmental conference for a few years, > so I have a question of protocol for you all: will I be shunned, avoided, and > socially ostracized if I say the term “UNEP” in public? > > In all seriousness, I understand "UN Environment” is what the organization > wants to be called…but are people generally saying “UN Environment" these > days in international fora? And does the difference between saying “UNEP" and > "UN Environment” matter in any consequential way at all? > > I should emphasize that I really have no agenda with these questions…they are > asked out of cloistered ignorance and curiosity…and I suppose I should be > saying the right thing to my students….. > > As usual, if you want to send me your response, I’ll collate them and send > out. > > Many thanks, > > Charlie Chester > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > GEP-guide.net <http://gep-guide.net/> • BCI <http://batcon.org/> • Y2Y > <http://y2y.net/> • Brandeis > <http://www.brandeis.edu/programs/environmental/> • Fletcher > <https://sites.tufts.edu/cierp/> > > > > > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "gep-ed" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gep-ed+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
