UN/EMG: Progress on Drylands Report

The Environment Management Group's Issue Management Group (IMG) on Land prepared the report in a process designed to interface with the intergovernmental process under the UNCCD, and the progress report was submitted to CST S-2 and CRIC-9. Key

findings from the report are expected to be presented to the high-level event on desertification at the opening of the UN/GA session in September 2011, and the final report will be presented to UNCCD/COP-10 in October 2011. Go to: http://www.unccd.int/cop/officialdocs/cric9/pdf/crp1eng.pdf

CARICOM: 22nd Intersessional

The Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community issued a Communiqué, which includes a section on climate change priorities for the region. The Communiqué

Montreal Protocol: North American states invite Parties to join Declaration

The Ozone Secretariat has posted on its website the “Declaration on the Global Transition Away From Hydrochloro

Go to:  http://ozone.unep.org/Meeting_Documents/mop/22mop/HCFC-CFC-Declaration-22mop.pdf

fluorocarbons (HCFCs) and Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)” from the Governments of Canada, the US and Mexico. The Declaration states the signatories’ “intent to pursue further action under the Montreal Protocol aimed at transitioning the world to environmentally sound alternatives to HCFCs and CFCs.” Drafted at MOP-22, the Declaration is currently supported by 90 parties and the EU. Additional parties wishing to associate themselves with the Declaration are invited to do so by 31 March 2011.

Adaptation Fund conferred legal capacity

Through an Act of Parliament, the German Government conferred legal capacity to the Adaptation Fund Board, making the Fund an independent international legal entity. The act enables the Adaptation Fund Board to enter into contracts with recipients, particularly in the case of direct access to the Fund by developing countries. The decision for the Adaptation Fund Board to be conferred legal capacity came at the Poznan Climate Change Conference in 2008, and resulted in the Adaptation Fund Board accepting Germany’s offer to host the Fund. See: http://www.adaptationfund.org/node/1198.

UNCCD: CRIC-9 and CST-S2

The 9th session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention and the 2nd special session of the Committee on Science and Technology took place from 16-25 February 2011. CST-S2 convened from 16-18 February, and was followed by CRIC-9 from 21-25 February. Session Website

CITES: Adopted texts in further languages

The Secretariat of CITES has proposed to link from the CITES website to translations into any language of adopted texts that parties have produced and are willing to share. While the three working languages of CITES are English, French and Spanish, and translations to other languages will have no of

ficial status, the links will be provided to facilitate implementation of the Convention. See: http://www.cites.org/eng/notif/2011/E016.pdf

Stockholm Convention: Climate Change and POPS

The Stockholm Convention Secretariat, in conjunction withthe Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme has released a publication titled “Climate Change and POPs: Predicting the Impacts.” Providing an overview of the complex inter linkages between climate and POPs, the report predicts signi

ficant climate-induced changes in relation to future releases of POPs into the environment, their long-range transport and environmental fate, and human and environmental exposure, subsequently leading to higher health risks for both human populations and the environment. The report also addresses the synergies between the climate change and POPs policy agendas and identifies areas of uncertainty and existing gaps in data, information and knowledge.

UNEP: Review of the Guidelines for Participation of Major Groups and Stakeholders

In line with paragraph 6 of the "Guidelines for Participation of Major Groups and Stakeholders in Policy Design at UNEP" (see http://www.unep.org/civil-society/Portals/59/Documents/Guidelines-for-CSO-participation-Aug2609.pdf), which calls for a review of the guidelines in 2011, UNEP will start the review process in April.
This process will be led by UNEP, in close cooperation with the Major Groups Facilitating Committee and input will be invited from all accredited Major Groups and Stakeholders. It is envisaged that the review will be finished by the end of 2011 latest. The new version of the guidelines will be in force after approval by the Executive Director.

UNEP/GC-26 Outcomes

UNEP/GC-26 adopted 17 decisions. On the green economy, delegates noted numerous success stories where a green economy transition is successfully taking place at the national level and that countries can learn from the success of others. On IEG, they highlighted that the challenge for the GC is about moving the conversation beyond the common diagnosis of the problem and beginning to articulate a forward-looking consensus on reform objectives. More specifically, the GC invites the PrepCom of Rio+20 at its 2nd session to initiate a full analysis of the financial, structural and legal implications and comparative advantages of the options identified in the Nairobi-Helsinki Outcome utilizing the expertise of relevant UN system entities, including UNEP and relevant stakeholders and major groups eligible to participate in the PrepCom. Decisions

European Commission and UNEP: Cooperation

The EC and UNEP issued a joint statement to signal the renewal of their political will to consolidate, develop and increase their cooperation and effectiveness to achieve their common goals and objectives. The cooperation for the period 2011-2013, builds on the EC's and UNEP's work together for the environment under a Memorandum of Understanding agreed in 2004.

IRENA: Recent Ratifications

Since 1 January 2011, seven countries have ratified the International Renewable Energy Agency's treaty, bringing the total number of its member States to 57. The seven countries that have recently joined the Agency are: Australia, Ecuador, Monaco, Cape Verde, Sri Lanka, Belarus and Finland. To date, 149 States have signed the IRENA treaty.

Blue Carbon Working Group: 1st Meeting

The International Working Group on Coastal "Blue" Carbon produced recommendations underscoring the need for active and effective measures to protect the large and vulnerable carbon pools stored in seagrasses, tidal marshes, and mangroves, and to restore and reestablish their carbon sequestration capacity.

Founding members of the International Working Group on Coastal “Blue” Carbon are Conservation International (CI), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Stakeholder Forum: Papers on SD Governance

The NGO Stakeholder Forum has recently published four papers on the topic of sustainable development governance in the lead-up to Rio+20. Publications: Sustainable development governance toward the UNCSD

Consultations on Great Green Wall

UNCCD and GEF co-hosted consultations among government representatives, bilateral and multilateral donors, international financial institutions and other organizations on the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and Sahel Initiative (GGWSSI). The consultations took place in the form of an experts meeting on 18 February, and ministerial consultations on 19 February. Environment ministers and other stakeholders from Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan participated, and considered how to prioritize financing for the initiative, which is still currently in a design stage. GEF Press Release

Note: The Initiative has not been conceived as a wall made up of trees planted across the Sahara, but rather as a set of cross-sectoral actions and interventions aimed at the conservation and protection of natural resources with a view to achieving development and, particularly, alleviating poverty.

EU: Opinion on GMO Restrictions

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has released an Opinion regarding a proposal that would allow EU member States to restrict or prohibit the cultivation in their territory of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that have been approved at EU level. If approved, the proposal would create a regulation of the European Parliament and EU Council to amend the current GMO directive of the EU.

CMS and Kazakhstan: MOU on Saiga Antelope

The Secretariat of CMS and the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan convened representatives of wildlife management authorities in the country and experts, from 17-18 February to discuss the implementation of CMS memoranda of understanding on the Saiga Antelope and the Bukhara Deer. [CMS Press Release]

UNCTAD: Report on Green Economy

UNCTAD has issued the report of the Ad Hoc Expert Meeting on "The Green Economy: Trade and Sustainable Development Implications," which t is issued as a background paper for PrepCom II of UNCSD (Rio+20) and designed to feed directly into the Report of the UN Secretary-General to PrepCom 2.  Publication: The Green Economy: Trade and Sustainable Development Implications] [UNCTAD Background Paper for Meeting]

Argentina and Chile: Andes MOU

A new Memorandum of Understanding aiming to conserve the South Andean Huemul was signed between Argentina and Chile. The agreement is part of the countries’ Speci

fic Protocol on the Conservation of Wildlife, developed in the margins of the 20th Ibero-American Summit on 4 December 2010, with CMS being the depositary. Press Release

FAO: State of the World's Forests

The 9th biennial issue of the State of the World's Forests considers the theme "Changing pathways, changing lives: forests as multiple pathways to sustainable development."

OECD: Publications on Biodiversity

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published a brochure, titled “Recent OECD Work on Biodiversity,” summarizing recent insights on economic valuation and policies related to biodiversity, sector-specific analyses, and recent and forthcoming publications. 
Publication: Recent OECD Work on Biodiversity

UNFCCC: March/April Negotiations

The UNFCCC Secretariat has announced the dates for the

first round of formal negotiations in 2011. The 16th session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP 16), the 14th session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA 14), as well as workshops organized pursuant to the Cancun Agreements and to other decisions, will take place in Bangkok (Thailand) from 3-8 April 2011. Website

UN/GA: Disaster Reduction Debate

The UN/GA convened a one-day thematic debate on disaster risk reduction (DRR) on 9 February 2011, in at UN/HQ, which included two panels on "invest today for a safer tomorrow," and "addressing the challenges of disaster risk in urban settings." Outcomes from the thematic debate will inform the 3rd session the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, scheduled to convene from 8-13 May 2011, in Geneva (Switzerland). UNGA President Statement UN Secretary-General's Statement

UN Agencies: Preparation of UNCSD Report on Latin America and Caribbean

Representatives of UN agencies met from 8-9 February  under the auspices of the UN Regional Coordination Mechanism for Latin America and the Caribbean, and agreed to work together on preparations for UNCSD (Rio+20). The agencies will produce an inter-agency document to assess progress and challenges in terms of sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean, 20 years after the the Rio Earth Summit. The report will include strategic guidelines to improve production and consumption patterns, with a view to moving towards economies based on sustainable development and the eradication of poverty.
Press Release

Brussels Urban Declaration

The European Parliament, the European Commission and UN-HABITAT, with the support of the Hungarian Presidency of the EU, hosted the high-level Consolidated Urban Dialogue Meeting with the EU Partners at on 26 January. The meeting concluded with the adoption of the Brussels Urban Declaration, which calls attention to urban development issues, and to the establishment of adequate mechanisms to support sustainable urban initiatives, including energy efficiency and innovative climate change strategies.

UNFF-9 Outcomes

Under the theme “Forests for people, livelihoods and poverty eradication,” over 700 participants attended the two week session of UNFF-9 from 24 January-4 February. They addressed the International Year of Forests (Forests 2011); forests for people, livelihoods and poverty eradication; means of implementation for sustainable forest management (SFM); and adopted the Resolution on Forests for People, Livelihoods and Poverty Eradication. Delegates also attended a two-day High-Level Segment, which included the of

ficial launch of Forests 2011, and four High-Level Roundtables on: forests and people; forests and finance; “forests-plus;” and forests and Rio+20. A Ministerial Declaration (not yet released, see: Building Blocks for the UNFF-9 Ministerial Declaration as proposed by the UNFF-9 Bureau) was adopted on 3 February. Background documents

Right to Water and Sanitation

In July 2010, the UN/GA adopted a resolution recognizing the right to drinking water and sanitation as a human right. Then, in September, this resolution was affirmed by the Human Rights Council (HRC), explaining that the right to water and sanitation was derived from the right to an adequate standard of living. Catarina de Albequerque, Independent Expert for the Council stated that this “first step” could be turned into a reality by placing it at the core of MDG policy and implementation. UN/GA Resolution and HRC Decision

World Resources Report

The topic of the upcoming WRR Report will be “how national governments make decisions for a changing climate – and specifically how they integrate the risks posed by climate change into planning and policy-making processes.” The findings and recommendations will be published in April 2011. See www.worldresourcesreport.org.

ABS and Implementation

An international seminar organized by IDDRI and AFD took place on 3 February, 2011 where participants focussed on the legal, policy and practical challenges of the Nagoya Protocol. Objectives included contributing to the debate on outstanding issues, future research directions and technical assistance and training activities related to the implementation of the Protocol. An in-depth report on the outcomes will appear in Environmental Policy and Law: The journal for decision-makers. Programme and Presentations

European Commission: Sustainable Growth

With €105 billion available in the current EU budget for sustainable growth, the European Commission has issued a Communication titled "Regional Policy Contributing to Sustainable Growth in Europe 2020," urging the use of EU regional policy funds to finance sustainable growth projects.

Priorities for investment fall into three areas: energy efficiency, renewables and decarbonizing transport; protection of ecosystem services, biodiversity, adaptation to climate change, including screening for climate resilience, and natural disaster prevention; and eco-innovation through the deployment of information and communication technologies and "green clusters."

Sustainable Tourism: Launch of Global Partnership

UNEP and the UNWTO have launched the Global Partnership for Sustainable Tourism aimed at influencing policies on sustainable tourism, developing projects, providing a global platform for communication, as well as facilitating a shift towards a green economy. The Partnership is made up of 18 governments, five UN organizations, the OECD, 17 international and business organizations, and 16 NGOs. Website

Global Compact LEAD Launched

The UN Secretary-General and a group of chief executives launched this new platform created by the UN Global Compact to enhance environmental, social and governance performance to set a new benchmark for corporate sustainability, at the World Economic Forum.

The executives represent a group of 54 companies, all participants of the UN Global Compact, that have made an ambitious commitment to work towards implementation of the Blueprint for Corporate Sustainability Leadership, a comprehensive roadmap outlining roughly 50 concrete actions businesses can take to achieve greater sustainability. Global Compact LEAD will be deeply integrated into other UN Global Compact engagement opportunities, including the six global working groups as well as the Caring for Climate and CEO Water Mandate initiatives. Website

Nagoya ABS Protocol: Signing Ceremony

In conjuntion with the launch of the International Year of Forests, the Nagoya ABS Protocol will be opened for signature by parties to CBD beginning on 2 February 2011, for one year, at UN/HQ.

2010 Arab MDG Report

UNDP, ESCWA and the League of Arab States have launched the "Third Arab Report on the Millennium Development Goals 2010 and the Impact of the Economic Crisis." With regards to environmental issues, the report inter alia indicates that while the Arab region as a whole only contributes about 5% of the global carbon dioxide emissions, the impacts of climate change on the region are of major concern to policy makers due to its dependence on climate-sensitive agriculture, as well as the concentration of population and economic activity in flood-prone urban coastal zones.

GEF: Endorsement of Biodiversity Projects

Monique Barbut, GEF CEO recently endorsed several biodiversity-related projects focusing on protected areas, biodiversity conservation in production lands and biosafety, taking the last step in GEF approval procedures. GEF Project Website

FAO: Report on World Fisheries and Aquaculture

The 2010 "State of the World's Fisheries and Aquaculture" includes a section on "climate change implications for fisheries and aquaculture," and also lists the major issues concerning international trade in fishery products in the past biennium, and which continue to affect international trade. It further outlines the various challenges ahead in terms of, inter alia: continuing trade globalization; heightened awareness for biodiversity protection; greater demand for public health and environmental protection; and the impacts of climate change.