IASC Guidance on Environmental Responsibility in Humanitarian Operations, September 2023

The objective of the document is to provide guidance and share lessons learned to enhance environmental responsibility in humanitarian operations.

The IASC Guidance on Environmental Responsibility in Humanitarian Operations delivers against a request from the Executive Committee of the UN Secretary-General from 29 May 2020 which suggested organizing ‘a working group with the participation of UNEP under the IASC to offer guidance and lessons learned for improving environmental responsibility in UN emergency and humanitarian operations’. On 20 October 2020, OPAG tasked OCHA and UNEP through the Joint Environment Unit (JEU) to set up and lead an informal Working Group, tasked with drafting guidance on environmental responsibility. The IASC Guidance was developed based on extensive consultation and reviews.