GEOC is a project that includes a public space on the 1F of UNU and established in 1996 jointly with UNU and the Ministry of the Environment of Japan (MOEJ).
GEOC’s project concept emerged from the outcomes of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio Earth Summit) in 1992, which recognized that sustainable development could not be achieved by governments alone. The Summit called for the active involvement of all stakeholders and positioned partnership as a central approach to building a sustainable society.
GEOC was established to put this vision into practice. By operating the public space at UNU and implementing various outreach projects, GEOC provides a platform where diverse stakeholders, including the MOEJ, UNU, civil society, businesses, local governments, researchers and community can connect, share knowledge and work together through partnerships.
GEOC recognizes that environmental challenges are highly complex and that sustainable solutions cannot be achieved by any single organization, sector or individual acting alone.
Given this, GEOC activities focuses on removing barriers to build fair and equal partnerships, such as information gaps, insufficient understanding of each actor’s position and role and weak communication across sectors.
Through outreach and the operation of its facility, GEOC promotes mutual understanding and supports the development of multi-stakeholder partnerships that can drive transformative change toward a sustainable society.
