Project Predator

INTERPOL's Environmental Crime Programme along with the World Bank and partners launched Project Predator during the 80th General Assembly. The project seeks to work with the 13 tiger-range countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar/Burma, Nepal, Thailand, Viet Nam and the Russian Federation to organize collaborative, high-level international efforts to improve political will, transform this will into departmental support, and train officers in the necessary skills. The Project also calls for countries to establish National Tiger Crime Task Forces, which it hopes will encourage the use of modern, intelligence-led enforcement practices for tiger conservation.

While not limited to the protection of tigers, it will also undertake initiatives and advocacy for all Asian “big cats,” including leopards, snow leopards, clouded leopards and Asiatic lions, which are are traded in the same manner as tiger parts.

  

New Publication on Biodiversity Law and Policy

The World Future Council (WFC) and the Center for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL) have published a new report entitled “Crafting Future Just Biodiversity Laws andPolicies”. It includes a survey of the world’s best biodiversity laws from Costa Rica, Norway, Bhutan and South Africa, as well as an analysis of successful sectoral biodiversity policies which address marine, forest and agricultural biodiversity.

ICIMOD: CBD Implementation

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has released a new publication titled: Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity: A retrospective analysis in the Hindu Kush-Himalyan countries. Using the national reports to CBD as the primary source, the paper examines progress made by the eight countries of the region: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, Myanmar and Pakistan.

UN/GA: Resolution on "Happiness"

The UN/GA adopted Resolution A/RES/65/309 on 19 July titled “Happiness: Towards a holistic approach to development,” based on a draft text presented by the representative of Bhutan. The final text notes the inadequacy of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as an indicator of the wellbeing of a people in a country, and invites States to elaborate additional measures for incorporating wellbeing into development policies and into the measurement of social and economic development.

The General Assembly agreed that Bhutan would convene a panel discussion on the theme  during the upcoming 66th General Assembly. Finally, it requested the UN Secretary-General to present a report on the pursuit of happiness and wellbeing at its 67th session.

Draft Resolution (A/65/L.86 + Add.1)

Award for Best Forest Policies

In support of the 2011 Year of Forests, the World Future Council's Future Policy Award will be given to the three most inspiring, innovative and influential forest policies worldwide. Bhutan, Gambia, Nepal, Rwanda, Switzerland and the USA have been shortlisted from a list of 20 policies from 16 states and the winners will be announced on 21 September at UN/HQ.

A Factsheet on the shortlisted policies is available here