The Earth System Governance Project, together with the project on effective architecture for emerging agencies in International Environmental Governance, supported by the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnerships will convene a session on Exploring Effective Architecture for Emerging Agencies in International Environmental Governance at the Planet under Pressure Conference, 26-29 March, London.

The objective of this session if to contribute to developing key points to create an effective architecture for international environmental governance. In the international environmental governance discussions towards Rio+20, the challenge of strengthening governance - which has been an issue since the Earth Summit - have centred on the subject of institutional architecture. International discussions are gradually beginning but there are diverging views and shifting views regarding proposals for effective architecture. This session is proposed to form part of a dialogue process to firstly, summarize research and knowledge about agency and architecture in environmental governance and secondly, to clarify the degree of scientific consensus in perspectives. The session will specifically address how the findings can be reflected in policy aspects of the international preparatory processes for the "Rio+20" Conference on Sustainable Development.

The session will be used to share initial results and contribute further to a research project already underway on effective architecture for emerging agencies in International Environmental Governance. Norichika Kanie as co-convenor of the session and leader of the research project is a a member of the UNEP International Environmental Governance Advisory Group.

The session will be an interactive engagement with the audience. Presentations will be made of the findings of the research project to date. This will lead to further dialogue with scientific research networks and policy-makers, with the aim of formulating proposals for Rio+20.

The session is aligned with the aim of the Planet under Pressure conference to offer a contribution from the global-change science community to the Rio+20 conference. By mapping scientific knowledge on discussions of environmental governance architecture, the session will clarify key issues and help promote policy discussions. The project will not only promote dialogue among scientists, but is also significant in that it can help close the current gap between the environmental governance policy debate and the scientific debate - in the context of discussions about the architecture of international environmental governance, where the participation of diverse actors is indispensible.