Information to Parties and Observer Organizations from UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa

The UN Climate Change Secretariat, working in unison with the UN family, continues to manage the progress of our important work, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. In this regard, I am pleased to inform Parties, observer States and Observer Organizations that our organizational change initiative, including transitioning to a new organizational structure, has been operationalized.

This initiative is part of the Secretariat’s efforts to increase its effectiveness, adaptability and coherence in delivery of support to Parties as they move forward in implementing the Convention, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, thereby ensuring better lives and livelihoods for this and future generations. Strengthening the Secretariat’s capacity to support the climate change process through the revitalization of UNFCCC structure and its programme and management processes is all the more critical given the urgency for the Parties and the global community at large to raise the level of climate ambition.

The new structure reflects our sense of acute responsibility as an organization to ensure that cooperation under the Convention can deliver its objective of climate stability in the context of sustainable development.  The change in the Secretariat structure and enhancement of its programmatic delivery and operations also respond to the evolving expectations from the Secretariat by the Parties, especially following the adoption and entry into force of the Paris Agreement and the adoption of its work programme in Katowice.

During 2018–2019, in the preparations of the UNFCCC’s Programme budget for the biennium 2020–2021, Parties were informed that the Secretariat was undertaking a thorough review of the organizational operations and structure. The review was carried out in a transparent, participatory and inclusive manner, and its main objective was to determine how best to adapt the institution to manage the ongoing and new workstreams in a way that maximized synergies and ensured coherence in the delivery of its mandates in an effective and cost-efficient manner.

As a result of that review, a new organizational structure was integrated into the Programme Budget for the biennium 2020–2021 that was approved by Parties at COP 25.[1] That new structure is designed to ensure a fit-for-purpose Secretariat with a collaborative and results-driven culture, enhanced collaboration and coherence in support to mandated activities, agility to respond to changing realities, and more effective partnerships with diverse stakeholders.

We strongly believe that the integrated and cross-cutting nature of the new structure and the cultural and behavioural change initiatives being implemented will ensure the Secretariat can enhance its support to the intergovernmental process, better service the review of collective progress, improve communication, and drive engagement for climate action.

Additional information on the review process and the principles that the organizational structure seeks to ensure can be found here. The Secretariat’s new structure, its interlinkages of the UNFCCC workstreams and the organizational structure can be found here.

The Secretariat is planning to hold a briefing to Parties during SB 52 to provide information on progress of the implementation of the budget 2020–2021, including on the process of the implementation of the structural and non-structural changes

Yours sincerely,

Patricia Espinosa