CITES: New Hardwood Species Listings

Following requests from Madagascar and Panama, CITES has announced that it will list 91 species of hardwood from Madagascar and Panama on its Appendix III, effective 22 December 2011. Appendix III lists those species identified by a CITES Party as being subject to regulation within its jurisdiction for the purpose of preventing or restricting exploitation, and as needing the co-operation of other Parties in the control of trade.
CITES Press Release

EC: Call For Italy to End Drift-net Fishing

The Commission has called on Italy to take measures to stop continued illegal use of drift-nets, which is in violation of a ruling from October 2009 by the Court of Justice on Italy's failure to adequately control and enforce the EU ban on the use of drift-nets. If no satisfactory actions are taken by Italy within two months of the Commission's letter, the Commission may refer this case to the Court of Justice again, this time asking the Court to impose significant financial penalties on Italy.

Press Release

CBD Executive Secretary Regarding Term of Office

The Executive Secretary of CBD, Ahmed Djoghlaf, has circulated a note on the relationship between the CBD and UNEP to UNEP’s Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR), containing his interpretation of the provisions of the revised administrative arrangements between UNEP and the CBD Secretariat, in response to the interpretation provided by the UNEP Executive Director, Achim Steiner.

Asia and the Pacific: Sustainable Energy

The Expert Group Meeting on Sustainable Energy Development in Asia and the Pacific reviewed energy security challenges facing the region and outlined a regional agenda on the issue. Participants stressed the importance for countries in the region to have national policies that will ensure universal access to clean and efficient energy services to advance poverty reduction and improve health and well-being.
UN/ESCAP Press Release

Eastern Partnership: Joint Declaration

Heads of State or Government and representatives of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, the EU and its member States met in Warsaw (Poland) on 29-30 September to renew their commitments to the Eastern Partnership. The resulting Joint Declaration includes language addressing the green economy, climate change and energy.

UNEP: Forests and Orangutans

UNEP has released a report under the Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP), titled “The Orangutan and Economics of Forest Conservation in Sumatra.” It makes recommendations for conserving orangutan populations in Sumatra, including: - designating new forested areas in Sumatra for REDD+ ;
- further resource development, including palm oil plantations, should be concentrated on land with low current use value; and
- establishing income-generating alternatives for areas that are important for biodiversity, such as sustainable tourism.

UN/GA General Debate: Expectations for Rio+20

During general debate of the 66th UN/GA, a number of speakers outlined their expectations ahead of UNCSD (Rio+20), and some addressed the sustainable development challenges facing SIDS.
Plenary Summary from 26 September
Pleanar Summary from 27 September
President's Closing Remarks

UN/S-G Report: "Harmony with Nature"

As requested by UN/GA Resolution 65/164, this report examines the historic and evolving relationship of humankind with nature, as reflected in environmental legislation, and with consideration of the question, “nature: to have or to be?” It recommends that States:
- consider a declaration recognizing nature’s intrinsic value and its regenerating capacity, in the context of UNCSD (Rio+20);
- improve the knowledge base on Harmony with Nature; and
- continue showcasing, through the UN’s sustainable development websites, the work being undertaken to advance development for all in Harmony with Nature, integrating the economic, social and environmental pillars.

Webpage on Harmony with Nature

Pacific: Coastal Management Report

The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) have released a report presenting 17 case studies of coastal management throughout the Pacific region.

Rio+20 and Sustainability Reporting?

The Corporate Sustainability Reporting (CSR) Coalition has called on UN member States to develop and adopt a global policy framework at UNCSD (Rio+20) requiring listed and large private companies to integrate sustainability information throughout their annual reports and accounts, or explain why they are unable to do so. According to the Coalition, the international policy framework should adhere to the overriding, key principles of transparency and accountability.
CSR Wire News Release

UN/HRC: Right to Water and Sanitation

The UN Human Rights Council has adopted, by consensus, a resolution on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation (A/HRC/18/L1).

IPBES: Recommendations for Scientific Assessments

The report of the International Science Workshop on Assessments for IPBES has been issued containing recommendations and options for policy-makers, inter alia, the scope and nature of  assessments, and the number and type of working groups needed to effectively carry out these assessments. This document has been submitted to UNEP and is intended to be proposed to policymakers at the meetings of the IPBES plenary in October 2011 and February 2012.

Network for Asia, Australia and Pacific

The Asia Pacific Network for Environmental Governance (APNEG) has recently been founded to promote the interdisciplinary study of governance of the environment at different scales and with an interdisciplinary approach to address complex environmental issues.

Indus Waters Treaty Arbitration

On September 23, the Court of Arbitration constituted under the Indus Waters Treaty 1960 in respect of the Indus Waters Kishenganga Arbitration, between the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Republic of India, issued its Order on the Interim Measures Application of Pakistan dated June 6, 2011.

The two questions identified by Pakistan as being at the centre of the dispute are:

a. Whether India’s proposed diversion of the river Kishenganga (Neelum) into another Tributary, i.e. the Bonar Madmati Nallah, being one central element of the Kishenganga Project, breaches India’s legal obligations owed to Pakistan under the Treaty, as interpreted and applied in accordance with international law, including India’s obligations under Article III(2) (let flow all the waters of the Western rivers and not permit any interference with those waters) and Article IV(6) (maintenance of natural channels)?

b. Whether under the Treaty, India may deplete or bring the reservoir level of a run-of-river Plant below Dead Storage Level (DSL) in any circumstances except in the case of an unforeseen emergency?

.

UNECE: EfE-7

The 7th “Environment for Europe” Ministerial Conference in Astana (Kazakhstan) from 21-23 September concluded with the adoption of a Ministerial Declaration titled “Save water, grow green!” Through the Declaration, ministers agree to take the lead in the transition to a green economy and to make substantive contributions to the discussions on green economy within the context of sustainable development, poverty alleviation and UNCSD (Rio+20).
Report
Chair's Summary

UN/GA: High-level Event on Desertification

Prior to the opening of its 66th session, the UN/GA convened a High-level Meeting on addressing desertification, land degradation and drought in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication. Following deliberations, the Office of the President of the General Assembly presented a summary of the discussions, and said it would be referred to UNCCD/COP-10 and Rio+20.

See the following links for more information:
UN Summary of Event
Statement of GA President
Statement of UN Secretary-General
Webcast of Opening Plenary
Webcast of Panel 1
Webcast of Panel 2
Webcast of Closing Plenary
UNCCD Website for UNGA High Level Event
GA President's Summary of Discussions]

Yasuni-ITT Initiative Gains Traction

At a High-Level Meeting held during the 66th session of the UN/GA, the UN/S-G praised the Yasuni-ITT Initiative* for showing that "sustainable development is possible, it only takes leadership, creativity and commitment." The UN/GA President encouraged countries to share the lessons learned and best practices from the Initiative, and to bring them to bear at the at UNFCCC/COP-17, as well as Rio+20.During the meeting, the Trust Fund received pledges totaling US$53.3 million from the Governments of Colombia, Italy and Peru, and from regional governments in Belgium and France.

Ban Ki-moon's Remarks
UN/GA President's Remarks



* In 2006, the Government of Ecuador proposed to indefinitely refrain from exploiting the 860 million barrel Ishpingo-Tambococha-Tiputini (ITT) oil reserve in the Yasuni National Park if the international community could provide it with at least half of the estimated US$7.2 billion value of the reserves. In August 2010, Ecuador and UNDP agreed to set up a trust fund with an initial goal of reaching $100 million by end-2011. The trust fund was first open only to governments and corporations willing to donate US$100,000 or more, but on 12 September 2011 UNDP announced it would also start accepting donations from individuals and others for as little as US$25. Trust fund monies are to be earmarked for social development, renewable energy, reforestation and conservation, as well as for research, science, technology and innovation.

G-77/China: Ministerial Declaration

The 35th annual meeting of the G-77/China Ministers for Foreign Affairs adopted a Ministerial Declaration on 23 September recognizing, inter alia, the important outcomes of CBD/COP-10, MOP-5 of the Cartagena Protocol, calling for the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 as the overarching biodiversity framework, and reaffirming the importance of the draft multi-year plan of action on south-south cooperation on biodiversity for development, to be adopted at CBD/COP-11.

UNECE: Forest Sector in 2010-2030

The European Forest Sector Outlook Study II (EFSOS II) covers the 27 members of the EU, as well as Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, illustrating the consequences of today's policy choices for the future of forests.

UNECE: 2nd Transboundary Water Assessment

 

The "Second Assessment of Transboundary Rivers, Lakes and Groundwaters," covers over 140 transboundary rivers, 25 transboundary lakes, about 200 transboundary groundwaters, and 25 sites designated under the Ramsar Convention and other wetlands of transboundary importance. It presents a broad analysis of transboundary water resources, pressure factors, quantity and quality status, and transboundary impacts, as well as management responses and future trends.

Aichi Targets Task Force

A Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) was recently signed between the CBD Secretariat and 27 international agencies, organizations and environmental conventions, aiming to achieve and implement the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and its Aichi Biodiversity Targets.The MoC creates a task force to provide a platform for agencies to coordinate their activities at global and national levels during the UN Decade on Biodiversity.The first meeting of the task force will convene in October 2012, in Hyderabad (India), in conjunction with the high-level segment of CBD/COP-11.
CBD Press Release

CBD/Ramsar: Joint Work Plan

A new four year work programme between CBD and the Ramsar Convention has been finalized and will be submitted to the respective COPs in 2012.

Press Release

"Europe's Environment: An Assessment of Assessments"

UNECE and the European Environment Agency (EEA) have launched an Assessment of Assessments report recommending ways to align environmental information and policy making, with a focus on water and the green economy. The recommendations were issued to the ministers meeting at the 7th Environment for Europe Conference, convening in Astana (Kazakhstan) from 21-23 September.

Call for ICJ To Examine GHG Damage

During the UN/GA general debate, Palau's President Johnson Toribiong announced that his Government, as well as that of the Marshall Islands has called upon the UN/GA to seek, on an urgent basis, an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the responsibilities of States under international law to ensure that activities carried out under their jurisdiction of control that emit greenhouse gases (GHGs) do not damage other States.
Toribiong's Statement
UN Press Release

EU: Resource Efficiency Roadmap

In a new Communication, the European Commission has unveiled a road map for transforming Europe's economy into a resource-efficient one by 2050.

New UN High-Level Group: Sustainable Energy for All

"SE4ALL" is to be at the head of a major new initiative to universalize access to sustainable energy. It will be made up of business, government and civil society leaders from around the world and aim to double the rate of progress on energy efficiency and the share of renewable energy globally by 2030. The UN/S-G has requested Kandeh Yumkella, Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and United States banker Charles Holliday to lead preparations of a Global Action Agenda leading up to UNCSD (Rio+20).

Press Release

Indigenous Peoples: Report from UN/HRC Special Rapporteur

 

Addressing the 18th session of UN/HRC, James Anaya presented his report mainly devoted to analyzing the impact of extractive industries operating within or near indigenous territories. The report is the result of answers by Governments, indigenous peoples, corporations and civil society to a questionnaire on the issue. Conclusions of the Special Rapporteur include the need to continue study of the issue through further consultations, towards operationalizing the rights of indigenous peoples in the context of natural resource extraction affecting indigenous territories, in order to be able to present a specific set of guidelines or principles by 2013.

Rio Conventions: Joint Liaison Group

The Executive Secretaries of CBD, UNCCD and UNFCCC have reported the adoption of the proposed terms of reference and modus operandi for the Joint Liaison Group of the Rio Conventions, which will now be sent to the Conferences of the Parties of the participating Conventions.

ADB and Green Growth

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has released a report titled “Greening Growth in Asia and the Pacific,” which aims to present a snapshot of ADB’s support to environmentally sustainable growth in the region. It also sets out ADB’s medium-term operation programme on the environment, which will focus on three strategic directions:
- promoting transitions to sustainable infrastructure, including infrastructure that will counteract the causes and consequences of climate change;
- improving natural resource management and maintaining ecosystem integrity; and
- building environmental governance capacity.

Opening of 66th UN/GA

The 66th UN/GA opened with calls from its President, Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser (Qatar) and the UN/S-G to address sustainable development as a top priority.
Statement of President
Statement of UN/S-G

UN/EMG: 17th SO Meeting

The 17th senior officials meeting of the UN Environmental Management Group (EMG) has decided to continue to provide a platform for enhancing synergy among the work of individual specialized agencies, programmes and funds working in environment in the lead up to Rio+20
More Information

African Position for Durban

African Ministers for the Environment met for the 4th Special Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) and concluded with the adoption of the Bamako Declaration, which endorses the African Common Position as the basis for negotiations at the upcoming UNFCCC/COP-17.

The full text of the Declaration will be made available at: http://www.unep.org/roa/amcen/Amcen_Events/4th_ss/default.asp

UNCTAD: Annual Report

The 2010 Annual Report of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) summarizing  research and cooperation activities towards development-led globalization has been released here: http://www.unctad.org/en/docs/dom2011d1_en.pdf.

Accountability for Environmental Governance

The Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer Range Future has released a new policy brief titled “Rio+20: Accountability and Implementation as Key Goals," in which the authors assert that UNCSD (Rio+20) is an opportunity to strengthen global environmental governance through, inter alia, four “accountability-enabling mechanisms”: improved metrics and reporting mechanisms; transparency mechanisms; compliance mechanisms; and capacity building.

Bottom Fishing and Deep Sea Fish Stocks

Further to a request from the UN/GA, the UN S-G organized a workshop from 15-16 September to discuss implementation of paragraphs 80 and 83-87 of resolution 61/105 and paragraphs 117 and 119-127 of resolution 64/72 on sustainable fisheries, addressing the impacts of bottom fishing on vulnerable marine ecosystems and the long-term sustainability of deep sea fish stock.
Workshop Agenda

African Energy Ministers Consider Road to Durban

Over 30 African Energy Ministers convened on 15-16 September to develop and agree on priorities for sustainably developing Africa's energy sector and concluded with the adoption of the Johannesburg Declaration.

International Conference: "Rule of Law for Nature"

The Natural Resources Law Group at the Faculty of Law in Oslo will organize this conference in Oslo (Norway) on May 9-11, 2012 aimed at exploring the legal status of nature, how environmental goods and services are valued and taken into account in decision-making, and the implications of the rule of law in this respect.
More information and call for papers

UNESCO: 1st Meeting of High Panel on Science for Development

Meeting from 15-16 September in Paris (France), the Panel’s first meeting focused on trends in the sciences, UNESCO’s present role, and how it can promote the use of science for sustainable development. Sessions included “Mobilizing international science to address pressing interdisciplinary challenges facing our societies,” and “Models for capacity building in science, technology and innovation.” The Panel of 28 eminent experts will meet twice a year to guide UNESCO’s strategies for promoting sustainable development and advancing poverty eradication, along with examing potential new partnerships with the private sector, civil society and academia.
Press Release

EU/South Africa Summit

As an outcome of the 4th Summit on 15 September, leaders of South Africa and the European Union (EU)  produced a Joint Communiqué including specific language regarding UNFCCC negotiations ahead of and during COP-17 in Durban and preparations for UNCSD (Rio+20).

CBD: Quarterly Report

The CBD Secretariat has published the 53rd issue of the Quarterly Report on the Administration of the Convention, covering the period from 1 April-30 June 2011. It contains a summary of key activities in implementing the decisions of the Conference of the Parties and other relevant matters during this period.

Asia-Pacific: Green Economy

UNEP and other partners have released a report titled “Resource Efficiency: Economics and Outlook for Asia and the Pacific,” which calls for a new “green” industrial revolution through improvements in resource efficiency.The report calls for a regional effort to improve efficiency, supported by public policy measures and fiscal policies including ecological taxes and budget reforms

EC: Baltic Sea Fishing

The European Commission (EC) has tabled its proposal, to be discussed by ministers in October, on fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2012; with the overall aim of making fisheries in the Baltic Sea environmentally and economically sustainable.

Based on scientific advice, the EC proposes to:
- increase total allowable catches for both stocks of Baltic cod and for two stocks of herring (Western and the Gulf of Bothnia);
- decrease total allowable catches in the remaining stocks, in particular salmon, given the stocks' poor state; and
- limit the number of days at sea for fishing vessels to the levels established last year.

Press Release

Call for Action on SLCFs

During a Ministerial Meeting  in Mexico City (Mexico), UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner recently called for action and outlined options to reduce short-lived climate forcers (SLCFs)

 

Press Release

Guest Article from Sha Zukang

A guest article by Sha Zukang, Secretary-General of UNCSD (Rio+20) titled "The Challenges for Rio" was posted to the UNCSD-L Announcement Service on September 12.

42nd Pacific Island Forum

Meeting in Auckland (New Zealand) on 7-8 September, the 42nd Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) was joined by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who engaged in an interactive dialogue and released a joint statement with leaders.

Key outcomes of the PIF also included the reappointment of Tuiloma Neroni Slade as Secretary General of the Forum Secretariat for a second term of three years, and a forum communiqué with sections on, inter alia: sustainable economic development; fisheries; transport and energy; tourism; education; trade; labour mobility; climate change; the Pacific Plan; the Cairns Compact; health; and Pacific Oceanscape.

UNEP: World Congress Prior to Rio+20

On the eve of UNCSD (Rio+20), UNEP and additional sponsors will convene the World Congress on Justice, Governance and Law for Environmental Sustainability in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) from 1-3 June. The Congress will bring together Attorneys-General, Chief Prosecutors, Auditors-General (Cour des Comptes), Chief Justices and Senior Judges from around the world to foster a common vision among those key stakeholders of how to transform discussions into action and use law, justice and governance to promote sustainable development. 

UNCSD Bureau: 17th Meeting

At its 17th meeting, the Bureau for Rio+20 met with representatives of international financial institutions (IFIs) and regional banks, and also discussed: - the Organization of Work for PrepCom III and the Conference itself;
- the Compilation Document; and
- the proceedings of an informal preparatory meeting in Brazil.

The next Bureau meeting will take place on 8 November, and is expected to include discussion on regional preparatory meetings, and the organization of work for Intersessional II, taking place from 15-16 December.

Minutes

USA: Evaluation of "Cash for Clunkers"

A recent article titled: “The 'Cash for Clunkers' Program: A Sustainability Evaluation”  describes and evaluates the effectiveness of the US Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act of 2009, also known as the “Cash for Clunkers” legislation. After reviewing various studies assessing the effectiveness of this act, the article identifies five major lessons.  These are: (1) the use of environmental protection to achieve economic development; (2) the importance of reliable sustainability indicators; (3) the potential for citizen engagement to drive improvements in energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reductions; (4) the possibility of rapid change toward sustainability; and (5) the key role of financial sustainability.

The article is available at http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1766098.   Click on “One Click Download” and follow the simple instructions.

CBD: Call for Nagoya Implementation

During the annual high-level meeting of CBD COP Presidents, representatives of past and future Presidencies agreed to and signed a call for "urgent action on the implementation of the successful Nagoya Outcomes." The Call will be forwarded to the 66th session of the UN/GA and to the high-level meeting of the Assembly on desertification, land degradation, and drought in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication, to be held on 20 September.

UNECE: MDGs Database

The UNECE Statistical Division has launched a database of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) indicators. The database contains official estimates of over a 100 indicators used to monitor MDGs nationally and internationally.

Mountains and Green Economy

The “International Conference on Green Economy and Sustainable Mountain Development: Opportunities and Challenges in View of Rio+20,” recently brought together international, regional and national experts and policy-makers in Kathmandu (Nepal) to discuss the relevance and scope of the green economy in the context of sustainable mountain development. An outcome of the two-day workshop and one-day Conference was the “Kathmandu Declaration on Green Economy and Mountain Development," which includes recommendations to feed into the UNCSD (Rio+20) process regarding:
- the recognition of benefits derived from mountains;
- the establishment of global, regional, national and local mechanisms to compensate and reward mountain communities for the services mountains provide;
- the establishment of favorable conditions for improving markets for mountain ecosystem goods and services;
- a green economy in mountains based on equity; and
- access to resources and property rights for mountain women, indigenous communities and marginalized groups.

Further information

OAS: Support for Rio+20 Process

The Department of Sustainable Development of the Organization of American States (OAS-DSD) has announced its intent to organize a series of hemispheric dialogues in a variety of sustainable development themes, such as Energy and Climate Change, Integrated Water Resources Management, Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Management, Risk Management and Environmental Law, Policy and Governance. The results of these dialogues will feed into the UNCSD (Rio+20) process through means such as policy papers and recommendations.

More Information

Rio+20 High-level Symposium

The High-level Symposium on UNCSD (Rio+20), co-organized by the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the UNCSD Secretariat, took place from 8-9 September in Beijing (China). It was co-organized by the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the UNCSD Secretariat. Aimed at facilitating in-depth discussions among government officials, experts and representatives from the UN system and Major Groups on both the objective and the two themes of Rio+20, the more than 200 participants were tasked with formulating concrete proposals as a contribution to preparations for the Conference.

Website including Chair's Summary

John Scanlon: Guest Article

In a Guest Article published on 9 September, CITES Secretary-General John Scanlon informs readers of the Convention's contribution toward CBD's New Strategic Biodiversity Plan 2011-2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.

EU/US: IUU Fishing Statement

Maria Damanaki, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, and Jane Lubchenco, US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator, signed a statement on September 7 pledging bilateral cooperation to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

EU: 5th JDP of Community Fisheries Control Agency

The Community Fisheries Control Agency (CFCA)  has started a joint deployment plan (JDP) for pelagic fisheries in Western waters of the North East Atlantic, which gives effect to the European Commission specific control and inspection programme for these fisheries exploiting herring, mackerel, horse mackerel, anchovy and blue whiting.
Press Release

BCIE: Environmental Strategy

The Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE) has adopted an Environmental Strategy to guide its financing of sustainable development projects in Central America and promote environmental principles in its practices. The Strategy sets out general principles and calls for Bank action in six areas: biodiversity; waste management; energy; air pollution; land management; and water as a resource.

Press Release

Latin America and Caribbean Inputs to Rio+20

The Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) Regional Preparatory Meeting for UNCSD (Rio+20) convened from 7-9 September in Santiago (Chile) and assessed progress since the 1992 Earth Summit, discussed the proposed themes for Rio+20 and adopted a set of conclusions that will be submitted to the Rio+20 Preparatory Committee as inputs for the draft negotiating document for the Conference.

Europe: Water Management Law Conference

The Annual Conference on European Water Management Law will take place from 8-9 December in Trier (Germany) concentrated on "Practical implications of European policy for water conservation". Key topics include:- Water shortage and conservation: existing EU legislation;
- Instruments of European policy for water conservation;
- Watercourses and nature protection;
- Water supply and wastewater; and
- Cosumer protection

Further information

Ozone: OEWG-31

The outcomes of the 31st meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol have been reported by IISD-RS. Therein, are the details regarding consideration of two proposals - one by the US, Canada and Mexico, and a second by the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) - to amend the Montreal Protocol to address hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).

Disasters and Land Use Law

A working draft of a new article titled: "Reconstituting Land Use Federalism to Address Transitory and Perpetual Disasters: The Bimodal Federalism Framework" is available for download. It seeks to provide a more comprehensive framework within which to analyze prospective mitigation or prevention of disaster risk and costs through a rebalancing - or reconstituting - of the respective roles of the federal and state governments in land use planning.

Global Compact and Climate

The UN Global Compact has released the report from the Third Meeting of the Signatories of "Caring for Climate," during which discussion focused on ways to scale up and intensify the business contribution towards the sustainable development objectives of UNCSD (Rio+20).

UN/GSP Prepares for 4th Meeting

The report of the latest meeting of the “sherpas” to the UN/S-G's High-level Panel on Global Sustainability has been released in preparation for the upcoming 4th meeting (GSP-4). Meeting on 23-24 June, the "sherpas" were presented with a draft of the first two sections of the Panel’s final report – on “where we are” (current challenges and opportunities in sustainable development) and “where we need to be” (the Panel’s vision for the world within several decades) – as well as the “cabinet papers” that will inform the third section, on “how do we get there” (a road map of actions to be taken by governments, international organizations, the private sector and individuals).

ECJ: GMO Ruling

In reference to a case regarding the detection of GMO pollen in honey, the European Court of Justice has ruled that products containing pollen derived from genetically modified organisms have to be considered the same as foodstuffs produced from GMOs, and cannot be sold without prior authorization.

UNDP: Sustainable Efforts

Speaking at the 2nd Regular Session of the UNDP Executive Board, Administrator Helen Clark highlighted the Programme's preparations for UNCSD (Rio+20) and stressed a commitment to promoting UN system coherence, noting that a well-coordinated system is better equipped to promote sustainable development across the three pillars She also underscored that UNDP is investing in framing the global development agenda, with an emphasis on accelerating the achievement of the MDGs and preparing for Rio+20, among other priorities such as increasing support to transition countries, with a special focus on the need for crisis prevention and recovery, including disaster risk reduction; implementing the organization’s change agenda; strengthening strategic human resources management; and enhancing corporate value-added services and accountability.
UNDP Press Release

US: Senate Oceans Caucus

A Senate Oceans Caucus was recently inaugurated as "an important, bi-partisan group that will increase awareness and find common ground in responding to issues facing the oceans. The Caucus membership will work to ensure a sustainable, science-based, and efficient approach to the utilization of our ocean resources." Founding Members of the Senate Oceans Caucus are:

Daniel Akaka (D-HI)

Mark Begich (D-AK)

Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)

Scott Brown (D-MA)

Barbara Boxer (D-CA)

Marie Cantwell (D-WA)

Benjamin Cardin (D-MD)

Thomas Carper (D-DE)

Chris Coons (D-DE)

Lindsey Graham (R-SC)

Daniel Inouye (D-HI)

John Kerry (D-MA)

Mary Landrieu (D-LA)

Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)

Patty Murray (D-WA)

Olympia snowe (R-ME)

Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)

Ron Wyden (D-OR)

ACTO: Environmental Agenda

The Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) met from 31 August-1 September in Brasilia, (Brazil) to discuss areas for future cooperation and common action under ACTO's environment agenda, including the participation of its eight member countries in UNCSD (Rio+20).

The ACTO Permanent Secretariat presented its proposal for an Amazonian Cooperation Platform on the environment, while delegations explained the environmental policy making process and institutions in their countries and outlined their priorities for Amazonian cooperation on the environment. The Secretariat was asked to present a revised proposal, taking into account input from delegations, at the Amazonian Cooperation Council (CCA) meeting in October, which could then recommend action to the Meeting of Foreign Ministers.

Press Release

CITES/CMS: Draft Joint Action Plan

At the request of the 61st meeting of the CITES Standing Committee, the Secretariat has published the draft joint Action Plan of the CITES/CMS Secretariats containing:
- a list of activities;
- an indicative list of envisaged common tasks;
- a summary of envisaged tasks; and
- related time-frames and costs.

Parties are requested to send comments on the draft Plan by 31 October 2011.

CITES Notification, containing Draft Action Plan

EEA Report on Landscape Fragmentation

The European Environment Agency (EEA) and the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment have released a report, titled “Landscape Fragmentation in Europe,” demonstrating how land areas in Europe become unable to support high levels of biodiversity when they are split into smaller and smaller parcels. It concludes there are several proactive policies that could provide more effective protection of remaining unfragmented areas: wildlife corridors could successfully reverse the trend of fragmentation; planners should aim to upgrade old roads instead of building new roads, and to "bundle" new infrastructure; where the volume of traffic has fallen, roads should be reduced in size or dismantled completely; and cumulative effects need to be considered more effectively, based on the precautionary principle, to avoid repeating mistakes of the past.

UN/S-G: Linking Sustainable Development to Security and Renewables

During his visit to New Zealand to attend the 42nd meeting of the Pacific Island Forum, Ban Ki-moon addressed Auckland University saying, “there is no sustainable security, no true guarantor of peace, without sustainable development.” Furthermore, he noted that during his report to the UN/GA this month, he would call on the international community to make sustainable development a top priority.

Statement by Secretary-General

Liability and Redress in Africa

The CBD Secretariat has released a report of the African Regional Workshop on the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. In their conclusions, participants, inter alia: - accepted a suggestion by the African Union (AU) Commission to formulate guidelines and strategies to support African countries in putting legal frameworks on liability and redress into place;
- noted the African Model Law on Biosafety as as one possible source of information for the development of regulatory frameworks;
- agreed to initiate implementation by reviewing existing domestic laws; and
- considered the usefulness of a harmonized approach with regard to determining damage to biodiversity, measuring biodiversity loss, techniques for biodiversity valuation and strategies to control the transboundary movements of living modified organisms (LMOs).

CMS and IUCN-ELC

In the spirit of maintaining collaboration on legal matters, a new MOU between the IUCN Environmental Law Centre (IUCN-ELC), represented by Director, Alejandro Iza and the CMS Family Secretariats, represented by Executive Secretary, Elizabeth Maruma Mrema was signed in Bonn (Germany) on 2 September. According to a CMS Press Release, "Based on an agreed number of days per year, the IUCN-ELC pledges, upon request and on a non-remunerative basis, to continue providing the CMS Family Secretariats with legal assistance." A specific, but not exhaustive, list of tasks including analyzing gaps to determine the potential benefits of new CMS instruments, drafting new CMS instruments, and assessing implications of the potential structural changes of the CMS Family has been agreed for the coming year and will be reviewed annually. Additional legal assistance in the future might include the amendment of the Convention or Agreement Text, the geographical coverage of existing CMS instruments or the merger of their secretariats.

AOSIS: Input of SIDS to UNCSD (Rio+20)

Following three sub-regional preparatory meetings of SIDS in June and July, this senior expert-level meeting on September 1 prepared the input of SIDS and advanced consideration of draft AOSIS elements aiming to capture common views on the objectives and themes of Rio+20. As the next step in the SIDS preparatory process, the AOSIS Working Group will take account of the views expressed and finalize the elements for submission to the G77/China, for incorporation in their UNCSD position documents. If SIDS’ most important positions are not taken up, it was noted, AOSIS would “retain the right to make a separate submission.”

IISD RS Reporting

Germany and UNIDO Cooperation

In view to the preparatory process for UNCSD (Rio+20), the Government of Germany and the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) have agreed to strengthen their cooperation in the promotion of energy access, energy efficiency and renewable energy in developing countries, including the promotion of sustainable industrial development. 
UNIDO Press Release on Cooperation Between UNIDO and Germany

CITES: Non-detriment findings

The CITES Secretariat has announced that its Animals Committee (AC) and Plants Committee (PC) have established a joint intersessional working group to prepare a draft of the guidance or guidelines referred to in Decision 15.24 on non-detriment findings (NDFs). The group will prepare the draft by 22 January for circulation to Parties so their comments may be considered during the joint AC/PC meeting convening in March 2012.

Notification

UNCCD: Call for Action

Representatives of past Presidents of UNCCD COPs, along with the forthcoming COP-10 host, the Republic of Korea, convened in Geneva on 3 September to discuss upcoming meetings of the UN/GA on the theme “Addressing desertification, land degradation and drought in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication,” and UNCCD/COP-10. Discussions resulted in the "UNCCD Geneva Call for Urgent Action on the Implementation of the Convention", which emphasizes the need to strengthen UNCCD to become a global authority on scientific and technical knowledge on the issues of desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD) and to align national actions with the 10-year strategy for 2008-2018, as well as confirming support to take the necessary measures at the UNCSD (Rio+20) towards mainstreaming DLDD as a major component of sustainable development and poverty eradication.

New Director of DSD

Effective September 1, Nikhil Seth has assumed the position as Director for the Division for Sustainable Development (DSD) of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). In this capacity, he will also serve as the Head of the Office of the Secretary-General of the UNCSD (Rio+20). Seth succeeds Tariq Banuri and previously served as Director of the Office for Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Support and Coordination.

Further Information

Legal Issues Leading up to Durban

The Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development (FIELD) recently prepared a note discussing the legal issues and development of the international climate regime in the lead-up to UNFCCC/COP-16. 

Ramsar: Looking back at 40 Years

In a paper entitled "The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands: 40 Years of Action," Ramsar Secretary General Anada Tièga reflects on progress Ramsar has made as well as areas where attention is still needed. The article offers an overview of the importance of wetland conservation, climate change and wetlands, interdependencies, impacts of climate change, links between climate change, wetlands and short- and medium-term consequences on agriculture, and the importance of cooperation and partnerships.

EU: EAP Implementation

The European Commission has unveiled its final assessment of the implementation of the 6th Environment Action Programme (EAP) of the EU over the past decade, highlighting progress, shortcomings and lessons learned in relation to biodiversity, climate change and the green economy.

UN-Water: Recommendations to go to Rio+20

UN-Water has announced that it is developing a status report on the application of integrated approaches to the development, management and use of water resources, for UNCSD (Rio+20). Based on 122 state responses to a global survey, the report is to include: lessons learned and recommendations; recommended areas for action; and guidance on the establishment of an international monitoring and reporting framework to promote sustainable development and management of water resources.
UN-Water Website