[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 249 (Tuesday, December 30, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78549-78550]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-30561]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 8987]


Request for Nominations of Experts for Consideration as Authors 
and/or Editors for the Sixth United Nations Environment Programme 
Global Environment Outlook (GEO-6)

AGENCY: Department of State.

ACTION: This is an announcement of an opportunity to recommend experts 
to the U.S. government for nomination as Coordinating Lead Authors, 
Lead Authors, Contributing Authors, Review Editors, and Communities of 
Practice Moderators for the Sixth United Nations Environment Programme 
North American Environmental Outlook and Global Environment Outlook 
(GEO-6).

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SUMMARY: Governments, along with other stakeholder groups, have been 
invited to nominate experts to participate in the GEO-6 assessment. The 
Department of State is coordinating the recommendation of experts to 
the United Nations Environment Programme for GEO-6. The purpose of GEO-
6 is to provide a comprehensive, integrated, and scientifically 
credible global environmental assessment to support decision-making 
processes. Candidates may be nominated directly at http://hqweb.unep.org/dewa/dewa_mvc_vb/form/Default.aspx?param1=geo6&param2=berlin. For nominations to be 
considered within the U.S. government nomination process, they must 
also be submitted electronically to the United States Department of 
State, Office of Environmental Quality and Transboundary Issues 
([email protected] and [email protected]), which is coordinating 
the U.S. government nomination process.

DATES: Nominations should be received no later than January 19, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Matuszak of the Office of 
Environmental Quality and Transboundary Issues, U.S. Department of 
State, is serving as the coordinator of this nomination process. Mr. 
Matuszak can be reached at email [email protected], or telephone 1-
202-647-9278. Please copy Michael Latham at email [email protected], 
or telephone 1-201-647-1126.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Global Environment Outlook is the 
primary assessment process used by the United Nations Environment 
Programme (UNEP) to review the state of the global environment. It is a 
tool that informs decision-making, focusing on assessment priorities 
and analyzing policy challenges and opportunities to provide policy 
response options. It is also a communications tool that brings together 
diverse stakeholder groups, builds capacity, and aims to raise 
awareness on the status and trends of the environment. The latest GEO 
edition, GEO-5, can be found at: http://www.unep.org/geo/geo5.asp.
    Experts are expected to have a thorough understanding in one or 
more of the following areas: Environmental science; natural resource 
measurement and management; environmental and

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resource economics; environment and development priorities, challenges, 
and policy; and environmental management. UNEP will select nominees by 
matching expertise to specific roles, paying due attention to 
disciplinary, gender, and geographical balance. Details of the GEO-6 
nominating criteria may be found online at: http://www.unep.org/geo/nomination-criteria.asp. Key roles and responsibilities, including the 
specific Terms of Reference (ToR) for the various experts and groups 
can be found at: http://www.unep.org/geo/expert-tor.asp. Nominations 
may be made at http://hqweb.unep.org/dewa/dewa_mvc_vb/form/Default.aspx?param1=geo6&param2=berlin. For nominations to be 
considered within the U.S. government nomination process, they must 
also be submitted to the United States Department of State. GEO-6 will 
review the nominations from all participating governments, individuals 
and organizations and make final decisions on nominees.
    Selection as a U.S. government nominee does not guarantee selection 
by GEO-6 itself. Participants in the GEO process volunteer their time. 
Nominated individuals should agree in advance to fulfill the role for 
which they are nominated, should they be selected to do so by UNEP GEO. 
Nomination by the U.S. government to GEO-6 does not imply a commitment 
by the U.S. government to provide financial support for participation.
    UNEP may provide travel and subsistence costs for non-Federal 
participants if requested by the participant, subject to the 
availability of resources. Additional guidance on compensation of 
expenses and remuneration of services will be available on the UNEP Web 
site.

How To Recommend Experts

    1. Refer to the GEO-6 Web site for detailed background information 
on the 6th Assessment Report (http://www.unep.org/geo/nomination-criteria.asp, and http://www.unep.org/geo/expert-tor.asp). The document 
on GEO-6 nominations identifies the substantive areas covered in the 
report. It is important to note that the time commitment required to 
carry out different roles in the GEO-6 process (Coordinating Lead 
Authors, Lead Authors, Contributing Authors, Review Editors, and 
Communities of Practice Moderators) varies greatly.
    2. Make sure that any of the experts whom you wish to recommend are 
willing to serve in the role for which they are nominated.
    3. Nominations to be considered within the U.S. government 
nomination process must be submitted to the U.S. Department of State, 
Office of Environmental Quality and Transboundary Issues no later than 
January 19, 2015. Provide the required GEO-6 nomination information, 
one for each nominee, including an up-to-date curriculum vitae of no 
more than three pages and identification of the role for which the 
individual is being nominated. Send this information by email to 
[email protected] and [email protected]. Please note that partial 
nomination packages will not be considered.

What Happens Next?

    In a process coordinated through the U.S. Department of State, 
Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific 
Affairs, Office of Environmental Quality and Transboundary Issues, 
technical experts and managers of relevant science and technology 
programs within the U.S. government will review recommendations and 
forward a slate of nominees to GEO-6 on the basis of their 
qualifications. Submission of a nomination to the State Department does 
not guarantee that the nomination will be forwarded by the U.S. 
government to UNEP.
    Disclaimer: This Public Notice is a request for nominations, and is 
not a request for applications. No granting or money is directly 
associated with this request for suggestions for GEO-6. There is no 
expectation of U.S. Government resources or funding associated with any 
nominations.

    Dated: December 22, 2014.
John M. Matuszak,
Acting Director, Office of Environmental Quality and Transboundary 
Issues, U.S. Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2014-30561 Filed 12-29-14; 8:45 am]
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