New UNCLOS Accession

The Republic of Peru deposited its instrument of accession to UNCLOS on 24 September. This brings the total parties to 163 states plus the European Union. The number of non-parties is now down to 34, 19 of which are landlocked. There remain 15 coastal states, including the United States, outside the Convention.

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)

Yasuni-ITT Initiative Gains Traction

At a High-Level Meeting held during the 66th session of the UN/GA, the UN/S-G praised the Yasuni-ITT Initiative* for showing that "sustainable development is possible, it only takes leadership, creativity and commitment." The UN/GA President encouraged countries to share the lessons learned and best practices from the Initiative, and to bring them to bear at the at UNFCCC/COP-17, as well as Rio+20.During the meeting, the Trust Fund received pledges totaling US$53.3 million from the Governments of Colombia, Italy and Peru, and from regional governments in Belgium and France.

Ban Ki-moon's Remarks
UN/GA President's Remarks



* In 2006, the Government of Ecuador proposed to indefinitely refrain from exploiting the 860 million barrel Ishpingo-Tambococha-Tiputini (ITT) oil reserve in the Yasuni National Park if the international community could provide it with at least half of the estimated US$7.2 billion value of the reserves. In August 2010, Ecuador and UNDP agreed to set up a trust fund with an initial goal of reaching $100 million by end-2011. The trust fund was first open only to governments and corporations willing to donate US$100,000 or more, but on 12 September 2011 UNDP announced it would also start accepting donations from individuals and others for as little as US$25. Trust fund monies are to be earmarked for social development, renewable energy, reforestation and conservation, as well as for research, science, technology and innovation.

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.

Biocultural Heritage Website

A new website draws on research by the International Institute for Environment and Devleopment (IIED), research partners and indigenous and local communities in Peru, Panama, Kenya, India and China to present biocultural strategies and methodologies for horizontal networking amongst marginalised communities; and emerging biocultural legal and policy frameworks. It provides guidance and downloadable resources for grassroots organisations, researchers, practitioners and policymakers.

Biocultural heritage includes a wealth of biological resources – from genetic to landscape level – and long standing traditions and practices for their sustainable use and adaptive management. It also describes the bundle of rights that support indigenous peoples and local communities – Traditional Resource Rights.

U.S. and Peru: Environmental Cooperation

The US and Peru convened the 3^rd meeting of the Sub-Committee on Forest Sector Governance, the 2nd meeting of the Environmental Affairs Council (EAC), and the first meeting of the Environmental Cooperation Commission (ECC) from 27-28 April in Washington, DC. The Sub-Committee discussed progress in implementing the Annex on Forest Sector Governance of the Environment Chapter of the US-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA), focusing on Peru’s efforts to pass a new forestry and wildlife law, including its consultation process with local communities.