Oceans Forum: Progress up to Rio+20

The Global Forum on Oceans has published "Oceans at Rio+20: How Well Are We Doing in Meeting the Commitments from the 1992 Earth Summit and the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development? - Summary for Decision Makers,”  A full report of the assessment is expected to be released shortly.

Intergovernmental Body on Sustainable Development?

As the third in a series, UN/DESA has released an issue brief focused on a potential intergovernmental body for sustainable development. The brief, titled "IFSD: Issues related to an intergovernmental body on SD," outlines the strengths of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, as well as where it is lacking. It notes that the CSD's most valuable aspect may be keeping sustainable development on the agenda. The brief also considers the possibility of potential new arrangements to provide space for innovation, which DESA says would require more time and greater flexibility in meeting.

Papers on IEG and PPPs

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) has published two new pieces on sustainable development, one focusing on the role of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in achieving sustainable development, and the other on the need to reform the current system of international environmental governance (IEG).

"Natural Resources Forum": Special Issue on Rio+20

This online issue of the journal Natural Resources Forum: a UN Sustainable Development Journal compiles articles addressing sustainable consumption and production (SCP) and the relationship between a green economy and sustainable development, among other topics.

Cartagena Protocol Compliance

The CBD Secretariat has released the report of the 8th meeting of the Compliance Committee under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.

Principles on Extraterritorial Obligations

The Maastricht Principles on Extraterritorial Obligations (ETO) of States in the area of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights are the outcome of deliberations of a group of 40 experts in international law and human rights. They seek to clarify the human rights obligations of States beyond their own borders and cover all economic, social and cultural rights, including among others the right to just and favourable conditions of work, social security, an adequate standard of living, food, housing, water, sanitation, health, education and participation in cultural life.

CBD: Bushmeat Report

Key recommendations from a report prepared for the CBD Bushmeat Liaison Group include:
- implementation of community wildlife management and other improved wildlife-management approaches, such as game-ranching and hunting tourism;
- increase of raising of “mini-livestock'”(wild animals such as cane rats raised in small farms); and
- support of sustainable harvesting of non-timber forest products, such as bee-keeping.
The report also recognizes the need to clarify and define land-tenure and access rights, improve monitoring of bushmeat harvesting and trade, and enhance bushmeat-related law enforcement .

EC: Proposed CSR Strategy

The European Commission has published a communication titled “A renewed EU strategy 2011-14 for Corporate Social Responsibility,” which proposes a new definition for CSR as “the responsibility of enterprises for their impacts on society”. In this connection, a CSR action agenda for the period covers eight areas, including: - leveraging EU policies in the fields of consumption, investment and public procurement to promote market rewards for responsible business conduct;
- improving company disclosure of social and environmental information; and
- better alignment with global approaches to CSR, such as the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the UN Global Compact, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the ILO's Tri-partite Declaration of Principles on Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy, and the ISO 26000 Guidance Standard on Social Responsibility.

FAO: EIA Guidelines

The new Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Guidelines for FAO Field Projects includes climate change and biodiversity considerations, as well as a screening tool to identify projects that may require a fully-fledged EIA; guidance to FAO staff on EIAs; FAO standards for documenting and reporting; and roles and responsibilities in conducting an EIA.

EFSA Regarding GM-Maize Pollen

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), following a request for scientific support, has issued a statement declaring that there are no scientifically grounded concerns regarding the safety of pollen derived from the genetically modified maize variety MON810.
EFSA Press Release

CMS Report on Cetaceans

This report highlights the most recent scientific findings on the distribution, migration, behavior and threats to toothed whale species, including sperm whales, beaked whales, porpoises and dolphins.
Summary and Recommendations

Basel/COP-10 Outcomes

Delegates to COP-10 of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal tackled a substantial agenda and adopted decisions on strategic issues, including the new strategic framework and the Indonesian-Swiss country-led initiative (CLI) to improve the effectiveness of the Convention. The COP also adopted 25 decisions on, inter alia: - synergies;
- the budget;
- legal matters;
- Basel Convention Regional and Coordinating Centres (BCRCs);
- capacity building;
- the Partnership Programme; and
- technical matters.

The Cartagena Declaration(draft version) on prevention and minimization of hazardous wastes was also adopted and is predicted to alter the focus of the Convention, from the movement of hazardous wastes to their minimization.

Advance report
IISD RS Coverage
COP10 Website

New Publication from ICIMOD

As the outcome of deliberations during the International conference on Green Economy and Sustainable Mountain Development, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has released  ‘Green Economy for Sustainable Mountain Development: A Concept Paper for Rio+20 and Beyond’. This publication was prepared to strengthen arguments for discussing mountain issues at Rio+20 and in other global discourses and aims to ensure renewed efforts and commitment by the global community to prioritise mountain issues in development agendas and processes dealing with poverty reduction, food security, climate change, and other issues that are critical to sustainable development in mountain areas.

Africa Input to Rio+20

The UNCSD (Rio+20) Africa Regional Preparatory Meeting deliberated on the themes and objectives of Rio+20, agreed on a consensus statement and adopted a draft resolution on Africa’s effective participation at Rio+20.
IISD Coverage

Declaration on Asian Wetlands

The Asian Wetland Symposium on Human Well-being and Wetlands brought together 800 participants from 19 states and concluded with the adoption of the Wuxi Declaration calling for a series of actions to be taken for wetland conservation and wise use.

UNCCD/COP-10 Outcomes

Delegates to UNCCD/COP-10 adopted 40 decisions, including on addressing the governance of the Convention's Global Mechanism (GM), scientific advice, and performance and impact indicators. 
Decisions

Women and Rio+20

Groupings of Latin American and Caribbean, African, Arab and French Women have published statements on UNCSD (Rio+20) expressing, among other things, concern with the concept of “green economy,” and underlining that its use could result in economic actors dominating and determining sustainable development policies.

Latin American and Caribbean
African
Arab
French

New UN Office for Sustainable Development

The UN launched the Office for Sustainable Development (UN/OSD) at a ceremony on 19 October 2011, in Seoul (Korea). It is a joint project of the UN, the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Environment, Yonsei University, and the City of Incheon and will be managed by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and housed at Yonsei University. The goal of the new Office is to improve and accelerate implementation of sustainable development worldwide, to support developing countries’ preparations for UNCSD (Rio+20) and subsequently to advance implementation of the outcomes of Rio+20.
UN Press Release

Arab Region Input to Rio+20

The UNCSD (Rio+20) Arab Regional Preparatory Meeting approved recommendations during sessions on 16-17 October in Cairo (Egypt).
Meeting Website
IISD RS Meeting Coverage

Asia-Pacific Input to Rio+20

The Asia and Pacific Regional Preparatory Meeting for UNCSD (Rio+20) discussed the two themes of the Conference, and adopted a short “Seoul Outcome." The Chair also produced and distributed his own detailed summary.
IISD coverage

Legal Frameworks for REDD

This new IUCN publication identifies and analyzes critical issues in the formulation and implementation of national and sub-national legal frameworks for REDD activities. It is based on substantive findings from four national case studies (Brazil, Cameroon, Guyana and Papua New Guinea) chosen for their varying geographies, forest cover and deforestation rates, and stages of REDD preparations.

Download PDF

Nairobi Declaration on RECP

The Global Network Conference on Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) concluded with the adoption of the Nairobi Declaration highlighting the role of RECP for achieving green growth and addressing climate change. Endorsed by 30 members of the Global Network for Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP net) and ten other providers of RECP services, the declaration emphasizes the need to improve resource productivity and environmental performance of businesses and other organizations to achieve low carbon, resource-efficient and green industrialization, and stresses the potential of RECP to advance the three sustainability dimensions of: production efficiency and competitiveness; environmental management; and safe and responsible production.

European Commission: Biodiversity and Health

The European Commission has produced a policy brief that summarizes scientific information on the benefits biodiversity provides for human health and offers policy recommendations. In particular, the brief discusses medicines from natural products, food security, infectious diseases, green spaces and urban biodiversity, and uncertainties and complexity.

UN/EMG: Drylands Report

The Environment Management Group (EMG) has released its report, titled “Global Drylands: A UN System-wide Response,” which highlights the need to include drylands within debates on contemporary global issues.

Main Findings

15 Principles for Green Economy

In recognition of the need for the international community to agree on a common ethical framework to achieve an ambitious outcome at Rio+20, the Stakeholder Forum, in collaboration with BioRegional and the Earth Charter Initiative, has published “Principles for the Green Economy," which includes consolidation of 15 principles, together with their analysis.
The 15 principles are:
- equitable distribution of wealth;
- economic equity and fairness;
- intergenerational equity;
- precautionary approach;
- the right to development;
- internalization of externalities;
- international cooperation;
- international liability;
- information, participation and accountability;
- sustainable consumption and production (SCP);
- strategic, coordinated and integrated planning to deliver sustainable development, the green economy and poverty alleviation;
- a just transition;
- redefining well-being;
- gender equality; and
- safeguarding biodiversity and preventing pollution of any part of the environment.

GEF Report to UNCCD

GEF, acting for the first time as a financial mechanism to UNCCD, presented a report to COP-10 of the Convention highlighting programme and project activities in the focal area of land degradation from July 2009-June 2011, which totals an investment of US$60.6 million.
The decision to act as as a financial mechanism to the UNCCD was taken at the fourth GEF Assembly in May 2010.

GEF Press Release
IISD RS Coverage of UNCCD COP 10
IISD RS Coverage of Fourth GEF Assembly

UNCCD/COP-10: Connection with Rio+20

The first day of the High-level Segment for COP-10 included a roundtable discussion focused on the theme “The UNCCD in the context of Rio+20: Addressing desertification, land degradation and drought as a cornerstone of the Green Economy.”

IISD-RS Reporting

UN/S-G: Parliamentarians and Rio+20

Opening the 125th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Ban Ki-moon called on parliamentarians to help drive progress in the lead up to UNCSD (Rio+20).
Secretary-General's Remarks
Meeting Website

Guidance on Oceans for Rio+20

The Pew Environment Group has published two documents to guide States in preparing their submissions to the Compilation Document of UNCSD (Rio+20). The publications contain recommendations for elements to include in the outcome document, an outline of ocean-related commitments from the previous summits on sustainable development, and an analysis of gaps in implementing those commitments.

Ocean Earth: How Rio+20 Can and Must Turn the Tide
Rio+20: Time to Turn Back the Tide

POPRC-7 Outcomes

The 7th meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee of the Stockholm Convention adopted 12 decisions on, inter alia:
- advancing chlorinated naphthalenes and hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD) to the risk profile stage;
- recommending that parties consider listing hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) in Annexes A, B, and/or C of the Convention;
- effective participation in the Committee’s work;
- the assessment of alternatives to perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) in open applications, DDT, and endosulfan; and
- the implications of climate change on POPs.

The Committee also established nine intersessional working groups to address:
- HBCD;
- HCBD;
- chlorinated naphthalenes;
- pentachlorophenol (PCP) and its salts and esters;
- alternatives to endosulfan and DDT;
- alternatives to PFOS in open applications;
- the draft risk profile on short-chained chlorinated paraffins;
- consideration of toxic interactions; and
- the impact of climate change on the Committee’s work.

These working groups will report back at POPRC-8, which is scheduled for October 2012.

IISD-RS Coverage

SEAFO: 8th Annual Session

At its 8th annual session, the South East Atlantic Fisheries Organization (SEAFO) agreed to accept a footprint for bottom fisheries and the regulation of still un-fished areas by the adoption of technical measures to protect vulnerable marine ecoystems (VMEs). Concerning thresholds to trigger the "move-on rule" in case of possible encounters with VMEs, the SEAFO Commission approved the provisions of the existing Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, for fixed gear; and the thresholds recently adopted by Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (NAFO), for trawlers. With regard to compliance, SEAFO adopted a new Port State Measure in line with the FAO Port State Control Agreement. According to the EU, its application will be essential for the conservation of species under the SEAFO Convention and for international efforts to fight Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fisheries.
Press Release

Arab League: Desertification and Biodiversity MEAs

The Secretariat of the League of Arab States organized the meeting of the "Arab Working Group on the implementation of biodiversity and desertification related [MEAs]," from 25-27 September. Participants heard reports on work over the past year, as well as proposals from the MEAs about plans for their future activities relevant to the region.

Ramsar Press Release

Aral Sea: 3rd Programme Underway

It was announced during the joint session of the UNECE Timber Committee and the FAO European Forestry Commission that, in cooperation with the Governments of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, a regional project on the forestation of the dry bed of the Aral Sea will be undertaken. The project is part of the 3rd Aral Basin Sea Basin Programme undertaken by the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) to improve environmental, social and economic conditions in the region.

In addition to this noteworthy project, 15 other project proposals fall under the specific focus "improving the instituional and legal instruments".

David Sheppard Discusses Biodiversity

IISD Reporting Services recently featured a guest article titled: "Value Island Biodiversity – It's Our Life" by David Sheppard, Director General, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).

Earth System Governance Conference

The "Lund Conference on Earth System Governance - Towards a Just and Legitimate Earth System Governance: Addressing Inequalities" will take place from 18-20 April 2012 in Lund (Sweden). Acknowledging that the conference themes of justice and legitimacy in earth system governance strongly relate to the two overarching themes of Rio+20, this conference welcomes papers that provide policy-relevant information and analysis on the reform, or transformation, of the institutional framework for sustainable development.

Call for papers and more information 

European Commission: Reform of CAP

The Commission's proposal for reform of the Common Agriculutral Policy (CAP) for the period after 2013 aims to strengthen the competitiveness, sustainability and permanence of agriculture throughout the EU. Among many other elements, it is proposed to dedicate 30% of direct payments to farmers for practices enabling optimal use of natural resources such as crop diversification, maintenance of permanent pasture, preservation of ecological reserves and landscapes.

EEA: Resource Efficiency

The European Environment Agency (EEA) has published a report on approaches to resource efficiency in Europe, based on a survey of individual countries’ policies in 31 member and cooperating countries of the EEA network (Eionet). Among the conclusions, the EEA highlights that:
- global environmental impacts of a country's consumption are increasingly the focus of policy debate and initiatives;
- resource efficiency could be strengthened through an increased focus on products (and thus also on consumption); and
- economic instruments should be used to change consumption behavior.

UNEP: DRC Post-Conflcit Assessment

UNEP has released a new assessment titled: “The Democratic Republic of the Congo: Post-Conflict Environmental Assessment UN Environment Programme Synthesis for Policy Makers,” which underlines the significance of DRC’s natural and mineral resources, while also addressing the need to urgently allay multiple pressures on natural resources. The study highlights numerous threats, including increased deforestation, species depletion, heavy metal pollution and land degradation from mining. It also underscores the acute drinking water crisis faced by DRC, leaving an estimated 51 million Congolese without access to potable water.

EU and Rio+20

The Council of Environment Ministers of the EU adopted conclusions on 10 October establishing the EU's general position for UNCSD (Rio+20).

World Mountain Conference 2011

The Lucerne World Mountain Conference brought over 100 international experts and policy-makers together from 11-12 October to highlight the importance of mountains and feed into Rio+20. Lastly, participants adopted a Call for Action to adapt and develop mountain governance to avoid poverty, food insecurity and social exclusion.

CCS: New Publication

A new publication has been released titled: Carbon Capture and Storage: Emerging Legal and Regulatory Issues covering developments in international law, as well as the European Union, North America, and Australia, with perspectives from China and India. Finance and questions of public perception and participation receive particular attention. Throughout the study, authors consider significant trends, critically evaluate progress to date, and identify key legal gaps and obstacles that still need to be addressed.

IPBES: 1st Plenary Session

Concluding with an invitation for institutions and governments to submit proposals for the institutional and physical hosts of the Secretariat, the 1st session of a plenary meeting on the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) considered a number of legal issues regarding its establishment. A key question discussed by delegates was whether UN/GA resolution 65/162, on the establishment of IPBES, actually established the platform. States may make submissions on the work programme until 15 December. Governments and institutions  are invited to submit their proposals for hosting the platform to the Chair of the Bureau by 15 January 2012, for consideration at the 2nd session of the Plenary.

IISD-RS Coverage

Rio+20 Participation

The President of the UN/GA has circulated a letter to UN member States urging “all countries that are in a position to provide financial support, to do so,” in order to enable all countries to be present at UNCSD (Rio+20). A trust fund has been established to receive contributions for developing country representatives' participation and the participation of Major Group representatives from developing countries, in both the regional and international preparatory processes and in the Conference itself.

Role of Forests in a Green Economy

The Conference on Forests in a Green Economy concluded with recommended actions on how to realize the potential of forests to help build a green economy. The recommendations and conclusions will now be submitted to both UNCSD (Rio+20) in 2012 and UNFF-10), to be held in 2013.

G20 Summit: Green Growth?

Federal Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, and the Heads of five international agencies (OECD, WTO, ILO, IMF, and the World Bank) met in Berlin (Germany) on 6 October to call for coordinated policy action to restore confidence and improve sustainable and balanced growth and employment prospects ahead of the G20 Summit to be held in Cannes (France) on 3-4 November. According to a statement, "climate change and the protection of natural resources remain major challenges that could also become an opportunity for growth. Leaders stressed the need to: realize the potential for low-carbon development and green growth by targeted action in developed and developing countries; continue with the commitment of all international organizations to promote and work together on green growth; and ensure a successful Durban Climate Change Conference in late 2011 with a view to further promoting low-carbon development strategies."
Press Release with Joint Communique

Reflecting on Biofuels and Land Use

A new report commissioned by IUCN and others, titled "Biofuels and indirect land use change," highlights:- findings that expanding biofuel production could displace agricultural production activities onto land with high natural carbon stocks;
- mitigation options considered by the European Commission for dealing with indirect land use change arising from the use of biofuels under the Renewable Energy Directive;
- a range of incentive-related options that could prevent or reduce the risks of indirect land use change for biofuels, but none of the current options encourage producers to adopt practices to reduce risks from indirect land use change.

Defining Green Economy

ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability has produced a briefing sheet on the “Green Urban Economy,” which inter alia outlines the meaning of, and reasons for, a green economy, including the cost of inaction.

UNCSD (Rio+20) Dehli Dialogue

The Secretariat of UNCSD (Rio+20) and India’s Ministry of Environment and Forests convened a ministerial dialogue on green economy and inclusive growth from 3-4 Ocotber in New Delhi (India). Views were shared on financing of a green economy, a green economy roadmap and energy access, among others. The proposed set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and possible guiding principles for a definition of "green economy" were also discussed.
Website

UN-Water Conference

During an International Conference titled "Water in the Green Economy in Practice: Towards Rio+20", UN-Water issued its "Water Toolbox" as a guide to actions, instruments and policies to advance toward a green economy for sustainable development and poverty eradication. It was also announced that a global status report on the “application on integrated approaches to the development, management and use of water resources” will be launched at Rio+20.

Reporting on Ecosystem Services

A new publication by UNEP and other partners titled “Approach for Reporting on Ecosystem Services: Incorporating Ecosystem Services into an Organization's Performance Disclosure” considers issues around ecosystem services, and how corporations interact with them, reap the benefits, and as a result need to monitor and protect them. Furthermore, it suggests indicators that organizations could use to assess and report their impacts on ecosystem services.

Call for Fossil Fuel Subsidies Reform

The International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have jointly released a publication titled “Inventory of estimated budgetary support and tax expenditures for fossil fuels,” which highlights the need to reform fossil-fuel subsidies to improve the economy and environment. This report is the first of its kind, inventorying 24 countries that account for 95% of the OECD’s primary energy supply, of which petroleum made up approximately 54%.

WIPO: 40th GA

The General Assembly of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) decided to renew the mandate of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) for the 2012-2013 biennium. In renewing the IGC’s mandate to hold text-based negotiations with the objective of reaching agreement on a text(s) of an international legal instrument(s), delegations welcomed the progress made by the IGC in the last biennium, especially on traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions, and endorsed the decision reached at the IGC’s last session to renew the body’s mandate.

Decision of Renewal

Oslo Governance Forum

The Oslo Governance Forum (OGF), meeting from 3-5 October, focused on participatory governance assessments and social accountability as a means for strengthening democratic governance at the national and international level. Discussion topics included governance for REDD+ and natural resource management.
Forum Website
Statement by UN Secretary-General

Local and Regional Authorities in Green Economy

On October 4, UNEP presented a discussion paper at a seminar of the EU Committee of the Regions' in Malmö (Sweden) on the role of local and regional authorities in the transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient green economy, in advance of the EU Environment Council's discussions on Europe’s position at UNCSD (Rio+20). 

Press Release

PAHO and Climate Change

The 51st Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) adopted a new strategy and action plan on climate change drafted by the PAHO Secretariat. These documents call call for, inter alia, improving regional, national and local capacity to respond to public health needs during climate-related emergencies, and creating new PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centers to study the health effects of climate change and to support national and regional capacity building in this area.
Regional Strategy and Action Plan

Scientific Community Input to Rio+20

The Earth System Governance Project has released its new policy brief: 'Transforming Governance and Institutions for a Planet under Pressure - Revitalizing the Institutional Framework for Global Sustainability-.' Written by a select group of 31 governance experts, it offers an assessment of the state of knowledge on the institutional framework for sustainable development (IFSD) and on possible reform options.

SADC: Countries Establish Transfrontier Conservation Area

On August 18, during the Southern African Development Community Summit in Luanda (Angola) the Presidents of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe signed the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Treaty legally establishing the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA). The treaty allows the area to potentially become the world's largest conservation area, spanning 444,000 square kilometers incorporating a number of national parks, conservancies, forest reserves and wild management areas, which are home to Africa's "big five" and other species such as cheetah, African wild dog, sable and roan antelope.
The Memorandum of Understanding serving as the basis for negotiations

More Information

EU-Brazil Summit

The 5th EU-Brazil Summit was held in Brussels (Belgium) on 4 October resulting in a joint statement that addresses, among other issues, climate change, energy and UNCSD (Rio+20).

FAO: Urban Forestry

FAO has announced that it is helping to develop guidelines for decision-makers on urban and peri-urban forestry. To be published in July 2012, the guidelines are to promote sound policies and review good practices, highlighting lessons learned from initiatives around the world.

Press Release

UNCSD "Making It Happen": Vol. 2 Issue 18

The Secretariat of UNCSD (Rio+20) has released a special issue of its newsletter with a focus on Major Groups’ perspectives. It also features a proposal by Colombia and Guatemala to develop Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to complement the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and 17 draft SDGs (beginning on page 12 of this document) recently proposed by civil society experts.

Global Soil Partnership

The Global Soil Partnership (GSP) for Food Security and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation seeks to build capacities and forums for exchanging knowledge and technologies of sustainable management of soil resources. It plans to propose national and international quality-soil health best practices, standards, guidelines and monitoring systems and will address the following five pillars of action:
- harmonizing guidelines and standards for measurement;
- strengthening soil data and information;
- promoting targeted soil research focusing on gaps and priorities;
- promoting sustainable management of soil research and improved global governance; and
- encouraging investment and technical cooperation in soils.

GSP Website
GSP Brochure

GSP-4: Toward Final Recommendations

The 4th meeting of the UN/S-G's High-level Panel on Global Sustainability (GSP) discussed the first full draft of its report on 18-19 September. Three “anchor areas” have emerged, which will now provide a framework for final recommendations. Panel members confirmed that following the first two sections – “where we are now” and “where we want to be” – their report will present concrete ideas for a way forward. These ideas are likely to be clustered around three areas: a sustainable economy; lifestyles and livelihoods; and institutions and accountability. The Panel’s final meeting will take place on 13-14 December and the final report will be handed over to the UN/S-G in January 2012.

The report from GSP-4 will be available here

UN/HRC: Resolution on Climate Change

The Human Rights Council closed its 18th regular session, adopting 33 texts on a wide range of issues, including a resolution on human rights and climate change (A/HRC/18/L26/Rev.1). Therein, the Council reiterates its concern that climate change poses an immediate and far-reaching threat to people and communities around the world, and has adverse implications for the full enjoyment of human rights.

EP: Defining EU Position for Rio+20

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution on developing a common EU position ahead of the UNCSD (Rio+20), outlining its views on the concept of the green economy and desired outcomes of the Conference. Of special note is paragraph 97, which "Calls for the recognition of the Principle of Non-regression in the context of environmental protection as well as fundamental rights." A working group of the IUCN-Commission on Environmental Law (IUCN-CEL) was a key player in the inclusion of this principle of international law requiring that norms that have already been adopted by States should not be revised if this implies going backwards on the subject of standards of protection of collective and individual rights which have already been reached.

CBD Input to UNFCCC

A submission of the CBD Secretariat to the Secretariat of UNFCCC contains summaries of four expert workshops on the links between biodiversity and REDD+, including relevant biodiversity safeguards.