BASIC and Climate Change

Ministers from Brazil, China, India and South Africa (BASIC) concluded their 11th Meeting on Climate Change with the adoption of a joint statement. Therein, leaders reiterate their commitment to a successful outcome of UNFCCC/COP-18, reaffirm the UNCSD (Rio+20) outcome document, as well as the outcome from UNFCCC/COP-17. Furthermore, the statement expresses concerns over the inclusion of international aviation in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS), and the planned unilateral inclusion of other sectors, noting that this apporach "undermines confidence and weakens efforts to tackle climate change on a multilateral basis."
 
BASIC Joint Statement

Objectives of 67th UN/GA President

Vuk Jeremic recently detailed his priorities, with the post-2015 development agenda as first on his list. He noted the mandate from Rio+20, to be in charge of follow-up, including the formation of the Open Working Group (OWG) on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Jeremic said he will take responsibility for determining the members of the 30-member group, in a joint effort alongside Brazil’s Permanent Representative. In that capacity, he will seek to ensure that the process is fully complementary and combined with the process around the post-2015 development agenda, especially the work of the OWG and the High-Level Panel (HLP) on the Post-2015 Development Agenda. The HLP is expected to put its list of goals forward next May. 
 
UN Press Release
Summary of Press Conference

Rio+20 Website in Portugese

The Portugese version of the UNCSD (Rio+20) Secretariat's website can be accessed at: http://www.rio20.info/2012/.

Rio+20: Rescheduled?

According to reports from the UNCSD Bureau, the President of Brazil has proposed new dates for UNCSD (Rio+20). They have already been discussed with the UN/S-G and he has expressed his support. Discussion on the new dates for the PrepCom (13-15 June) and for the Conference (20-22 June) now shifts to the UN/GA's 2nd Committee where Member States are already negotiating the precise 'modalities' of the Conference. It is presumed that the proposal will be accepted, as it comes at the request of the Host Country.

Rationale given for the change of dates is to "ensure opportunity for participation at the highest possible level" coinciding with the next G20 Summit in Mexico from 18-19 June, 2012 and to avoid overlap with commitments of Commonwealth Members to the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

More information

CITES: E-Permitting in Amazon States

A Regional Meeting on Electronic Information Management and Permitting under CITES agreed on the desirability of promoting regional cooperation among CITES and customs authorities on implementing e-permitting with help from the Secretariats of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) and CITES, and the World Customs Organization. Attended by delegations from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela, the new electronic systems will allow the harmonization of CITES and customs controls and data standards, while providing more efficient tracing of trade in wildlife products.
ACTO Press Release (Spanish)

BASIC Position for UNFCCC/COP-17

The 9th BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change, attended by representatives from Brazil, South Africa, India and China (BASIC), as well as observers from the Group of 77 and China, the Arab Group and the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS); concluded with a joint statement in which ministers agreed that the Durban Climate Change Conference should achieve a comprehensive, fair and balanced outcome to enable the full, effective and sustained implementation of the Convention and its Kyoto Protocol. The 10th meeting will be held in India during the first quarter of 2012.

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.

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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).

IWC-63 Outcomes

The 63rd annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) was held from 11-14 July  in St Helier, Island of Jersey (UK). Among other issues, the Commission held extensive discussions on new and revised Rules of Procedure, and agreed by consensus on a Resolution on improving the effectiveness of operations within the IWC that also incorporated some changes to its Rules of Procedure and Financial Regulations. In addition to the rule changes, the resolution included: investigating options for providing assistance to member governments with limited means to participate actively in the Commission’s work; establishing a working group to further consider the role of observers at IWC meetings; and agreeing to regularly review its rules in the light of international good practice and to address specific problems that may arise. The IWC also agreed to a new experimental procedure relating to the participation of NGOs in its plenary sessions.

With regard to a proposal sponsored by Brazil and Argentina for the creation of a South Atlantic Sanctuary, a number of whaling countries withdrew from the room when it was suggested to put the proposal to a vote. The agenda item was eventually left open until the 2012 annual meeting.  If consensus cannot be reached then, a decision will be taken in accordance with the Commission’s rules of procedure. IWC-64 will be held in June/July 2012, in Panama City (Panama).

Resolutions

Hydropower and Sustainability

The International Hydropower Association (IHA), during its biennial World Congress on Advancing Sustainable Hydropower from 14-17 June, in Foz de Iguaçu (Brazil) adopted a Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol .

The Congress also reflected on the latest IPCC assessment on renewable energy, the sustainability challenges to hydropower development, opportunities arising from the growing interest in green growth strategies within the international community, as well as from the growth of carbon market finance opportunities.

It established the need to diversify power sources and consider renewables as 'complementary' rather than alternative sources of energy. Special discussions were also held on the social and environmental impacts of the Belo Monte hydropower project recently approved in Brazil's Amazon basin.

IISD RS Coverage

 

Latin America: New Water Fund

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Nature Conservancy and the FEMSA Foundation have launched a US$27 million dollar initiative to create water funds, private-public partnerships to protect critical watersheds in Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Mexico and other countries.

2nd US-Brazil Global Partership

The 2nd US-Brazil Global Partnership Dialogue convened on 1 June in Washington, DC (USS), and was preceded by senior-level meetings on: science, technology and the environment; trilateral development cooperation and food security; and regional issues.

 Joint Statement in US State Department Press Release

BASIC-7: Joint Statement

The 7th BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change took place in Zimbali (South Africa), from 28-29 May  and was attended by ministers from South Africa, China, Brazil, India, and Argentina as chair of the G77, as well as the incoming Climate Change Conference President Maite Nkoana-Mashabane. Ministers discussed the work required to achieve a comprehensive and balanced outcome at the Durban Climate Change Conference in December 2011 to complete the mandate of the Bali Road Map and issued a Joint Statement in this regard.

REDD+: Initiative to Prepare National Laws

Senior legislators from Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia and Mexico met to launch the GLOBE Legislator Forest Initiative to develop complementary legislation to prepare the way for efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD). During the meeting each group of legislators outlined the current status of their legislation that is relevant to forestry and the drivers of deforestation. Over the next year, GLOBE will work with legislators to identify how legislation could be amended or advanced to provide REDD+ with a stable foundation for success. The legislators involved in this new initiative will report back on their progress at the World Summit of Legislators prior to UNCSD (Rio+20).