14-16 June 2016 – Brussels, Belgium
The 8th Meeting of the RECPnet Executive Committee was held from 14-16 June 2016, in Brussels, Belgium. The meeting was scheduled to coincide with the EU Development Days 2016, and included a meeting between representatives of the European Commission, UNEP, UNIDO and the Executive Committee of RECPnet.
The meeting with the European Commission (EC) centered on identifying common areas of interest related to Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and their role in the Circular Economy and in eco-innovation as key ways to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The meeting further sought to take stock of existing work and experience of the participants in these areas, including the ongoing cooperation between the EC, UNEP and UNIDO, and identify possible projects and initiatives for further cooperation to enhance SMEs’ contribution in scaling sustainability. The Executive Committee of RECPnet was invited to the meeting in order to share its experience and explore potential institutional synergies on topics of relevance. Interest in the activities of RECPnet was high, and it was agreed to invite EC representatives to the next Global Network Conference on RECP, scheduled to take place in the first quarter of 2017.
The 8th Executive Committee Meeting addressed a number of strategic and administrative issues, and included a decision on the collection of outstanding membership fees by the end of 2016. Updates from the five Regional Chapter of RECPnet – Africa, Arab Region, Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe and Latin America – were provided, including details on the status of implementation of the Operational Strategy for RECPnet 2015-2020 and the RECPnet Work Plan 2016.
The Executive Committee furthermore discussed the most effective means by which RECPnet could position itself as a major contributor to the advancement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In this context, a draft position paper developed by UNEP was presented which demonstrated RECPnet‘s competitive advantage in helping countries deliver on at least seven of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).