OAS: Regional Instrument on Rio Principle 10?

A public dialogue organized by the Organization of American States (OAS) on governance and public participation in sustainable development decision-making included extensive discussion of a proposal to seek a commitment at UNCSD (Rio+20) for a regional instrument to implement of the Rio Declaration's Principle 10. Members of a panel agreed that, apart from a few examples such as Mexican laws on access to information and public participation, most Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries have neither fully implemented Principle 10 nor the OAS' own 1999 Inter-American Strategy for the Promotion of Public Participation in Decision-Making for Sustainable Development (ISP).

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

South African Priorities for UNFCCC COP-17

In a press briefing, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa and incoming President of UNFCCC/COP-17, together with South African Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa, described South Africa's preparations for the Durban Climate Change Conference.

According to IISD-RS, Minister Nkoana-Mashabane underlined that her Government has been working closely with Mexico in its capacity as current COP President. She explained that South Africa has undertaken informal consultations at all levels to "facilitate a credible outcome that is equitable, fair and inclusive," underlining the importance of the party-driven principle. She also listed the events that she will host or organize, including: with Mexico, a Leaders’ Dialogue on Climate Change on the margins of the 66th session of the UN/GA; a negotiator-level meeting and an informal ministerial meeting in September 2011, in South Africa; a stakeholder meeting on 5 September; and a “Pre-COP” Informal Ministerial Consultation on 20-21 October 2011, in South Africa. She stressed the need for ministers to focus on finance, means of implementation and the other outstanding political issues.

Minister Molewa stressed the need for COP-17 to "at least" put in place the "necessary building blocks to deliver a balanced agreement that takes historical responsibilities into account." She indicated her Government's commitment to develop a common African position in the negotiations, underlining that Africa is the continent most affected by climate change. She outlined the following priorities for Durban, as identified at the AU Summit: maintaining the integrity of the multilateral process; determining the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol and a comparable emission reduction regime for non-Kyoto Parties; affording a central place to adaptation; and focusing on finance discussions, particularly the design of the Green Climate Fund.

Molewa's Remarks
Nkoana-Mashabane's Remarks

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.

Montreal Protocol: Proposals for HFCs Phase-down

The Ozone Secretariat has released documents in the lead up to the upcoming 31st Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) meeting, scheduled to convene in Bangkok (Thailand) in August. The documents include a proposal from the US, Canada and Mexico, and one from the Federated States of Micronesia, to phase-down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) under the Montreal Protocol.

Proposed Amendment to Control HFCs under the Montreal Protocol (Submitted by Canada, Mexico and the United States of America) - Cover Letter, Proposal Amendment, Proposal Summary, Amendments Benefits Summary, Decision Proposal

Proposed Amendment to Control HFCs under the Montreal Protocol (Submitted by the Federated States of Micronesia)- Cover Letter, Proposal Summary, Proposal Amendment

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).