The Governing Council, Recognizing the role of the United Nations Environment Programme in enhanced coordination and collaboration across the United Nations system to achieve greater coherence in environmental activities, Recalling its decision SS.XI/3, on enhanced coordination across the United Nations system, including the Environment Management Group, Recalling also the Joint Inspection Unit report on the environmental profile of the United Nations system organizations and their in-house environmental management policies and practices,27 Welcoming the efforts of the Executive Director, including in his capacity as Chair of the Environment Management Group, and those of its members in promoting cooperation across the United Nation system on environmental activities, Welcoming in particular the progress made in the implementation of the memorandum of understanding between the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Development Programme as presented by the Executive Director,28 and in that regard expressing satisfaction with the establishment of a joint working group, as described in the memorandum, Expressing appreciation for the progress report prepared under the guidance of the senior officials of the Environment Management Group at their sixteenth meeting and as presented by the Executive Director,29 Commending the Group on its progress in facilitating cooperation across the United Nations system to assist Member States in implementing the environmental agenda, Welcoming in particular the Group’s contribution to the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity30 and its follow-up decision to continue its support for the implementation of the biodiversity agenda across the United Nations system, 1. Supports the continued efforts by the Group to mainstream environmental considerations in activities at the programme, management and operational levels in close cooperation with the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination and its subsidiary bodies; 2. Encourages the Group to continue to promote coherence in programming environmental activities in the United Nations system, including by mainstreaming environmental concerns into sectoral programmes, through such measures as the following: (a) Contribution to the international agenda on biodiversity, including implementation of the relevant decisions of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity at its tenth meeting; (b) Preparation of a United Nations system-wide contribution to the tenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa; (c) Contribution by the United Nations system to the nineteenth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, including all five themes for the session; (d) Preparation of a contribution by the United Nations system, identifying existing studies on the green economy, to the preparatory process for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development; 3. Also encourages the Group to continue supporting the implementation of the United Nations climate-neutral strategy and advancing the sustainability of policies, management practices and operations in the United Nations system, including sustainable procurement, and the establishment of and agreement to put in place a process for environmental impact assessment and the use of environmental and social safeguards in respect of projects taken up directly by the organizations of the United Nations system; 4. Requests the Executive Director in his capacity as Chair of the Group to provide a progress report on the Group’s work to the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum at its twelfth special session; 5. Requests the Executive Director to provide a progress report on the implementation of the memorandum of understanding between the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Development Programme to the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum at its twelfth special session; 6. Urges the United Nations Environment Programme to consider using the Poverty and Environment Initiative as a model for future collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme and with other United Nations agencies, where relevant, building on the comparative advantages of each organization.