UNESCO/ICSU Workshop for Latin America and the Caribbean

This Science and Technology Workshop was convened from 2-5 August to give scientists and engineers from the region the opportunity to prepare joint positions and inputs for the regional preparatory processes to UNCSD (Rio+20) and to discuss views with policy makers and other key actors. Topics included:  priority issues for Rio+20; the link between science, education and policy and how to strengthen this link in order to ensure early detection of emerging crises and quick response actions; the needs of science and technology in the region, in order to contribute best to sustainable development in the region and to international endeavours of sustainability science; and how science and engineering can contribute to a green economy.
The outcome of the workshop will be presented at the Latin America and the Caribbean Intergovernmental Regional Preparatory Meeting for Rio+20, which will take place from 7-9 September 2011, in Santiago (Chile).

IPBES: Expert Meeting

A meeting on 10 June, organized by the International Council for Science (ICSU) and hosted by UNESCO, on the future of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) provided the basis for a workshop with UNESCO’s technical support, to further articulate the knowledge generation function of the Platform. The meeting's outcomes  will be available on UNESCO's website at the end of June 2011.

UNESCO Press Release

ICSU: Preparation for UNCSD (Rio+20)

The International Council for Science convened a Rio+20 Regional Workshop for Asia and the Pacific, from 16-18 April in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). It was the first in a series of regional preparatory meetings for the UNCSD (Rio+20) being organized by ICSU.

Key outcomes of the meeting included agreements to develop specific Type II Partnership proposals to take forward to Rio+20, and that ISCU would encourage its national members to interact with their respective governments to ensure that science and technology plays a key role in the development of their national agenda for the Conference.

International Polar Year Outputs

The World Meteorological Association (WMO) and the International Council for Science presented the findings from the International Polar Year titled "Understanding Earth's Polar Challenges," at the Arctic Science Summit Week in Seoul (ROK). The findings represent research efforts by approximately 50,000 participants between 2007 and 2009. The summary was compiled by 300 authors and reviewers to reveal how the research established baseline data sets for predicting future climate change. The work was also important for advancing coordinated satellite observations of polar ice sheets and developing new measurement systems for permafrost and polar atmosphere.