Baseline Assessment of UNICEF's Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) Implementation
To what extent and how has UNICEF implemented the ESS procedures? What are the main enabling and hindering factors?
UNICEF's unwavering commitment to enhancing environmental and social outcomes while diligently addressing unintended adverse impacts of its initiatives for children remains steadfast. In alignment with the United Nations' effort to standardise safeguard policies and report on environmental and social standards across its various entities, UNICEF has wholeheartedly embraced environmental and social safeguards (ESS) as a core component of its organizational commitment within the 2022-2025 Strategic Plan. Presently, UNICEF is diligently working towards the official launch of its ESS system.
To facilitate the organization-wide implementation of the ESS system, the UNICEF Evaluation Office, in close collaboration with the Division of Data, Analytics, Planning, and Monitoring (DAPM) and the Programme Group (PG), has commissioned a Baseline Assessment of UNICEF's Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) implementation.
The primary aim of this assessment was to comprehensively evaluate the extent to which ESS procedures have been integrated throughout UNICEF, to identify both challenges and benefits associated with this implementation, and to provide evidence-based recommendations for further expanding UNICEF's ESS initiatives. This assessment serves as a foundational reference point against which future progress in ESS implementation will be measured through monitoring systems and subsequent assessments.
