UN/GA: Wildlife comes to the plenary

Poaching and the illicit trafficking of wildlife products were raised for the first time at the General Assembly during discussions on strengthening national and international governance.

In a written statement, the United States highlighted “the harm caused by wildlife poaching and trafficking to conservation efforts, rule of law, governance and economic development.”

“Such organized crime is increasingly affecting the environment and biodiversity through poaching and illegal fishing,” Gabon’s President Ali Bongo said during the High-level Meeting on the Rule of Law. “Gabon intends to strengthen its criminal justice system to combat this phenomenon. But such efforts will require a greater international legal cooperation.” President Bongo took the occasion to reaffirm his country’s commitment to “combating violations of the Convention on International Trade [in] Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora as well as other conventions to protect the environment and biodiversity.”

France also emphasized the severity and negative impacts of wildlife crime. “There are still entire sectors of activity without any legal safety,” French Minister Delegate for Development Pascal Canfin said. “International law is lacking when it comes to the plundering of natural resources, for example, or the trafficking of fauna.”

Nigeria: Oil spill legislation

 

According to GLOBE International, Senator A. Bukola Saraki, Chair of the Committee on Environment and Ecology of the National Assembly, has introduced a bill to amend the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency Act (NOSDRA) 2006. The amendment seeks to:

• Strengthen the institutional and regulatory capacity of NOSDRA to proactively manage oil spills in a much more robust and effective manner,
• creating a clear and specific regime of penalties and responsibilities for oil spills
• providing a consistent guide and procedure for assessing and accessing compensation for oil spill and other civil liabilities.

With an estimated 13 million -16 million barrels of oil spilled in the Niger Delta over the past 50 years, this legislation would strengthen the governance and penalty system.
Full text

 

IPBES Members

The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services has announced the current list of  92 members as of 1 September 2012.

Africa
Algeria, Botswana, Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Morocco, Niger, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

Asia and the Pacific
Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Yemen.

Eastern Europe
Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Montenegro, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation and Slovakia.

Latin America and the Caribbean
Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay.

Western Europe and Others
Andorra, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and United States of America.

Environment at 66th UN/GA

The 66th session of the UN General Assembly adopted the following environment-related resolutions: 

2 December, 2011:
Res. 66/27: Prevention of an arms race in outer space
Res. 66/29: Implementation of the convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their Destruction
Res. 66/30: Relationship between disarmament and development
Res. 66/31: Observance of environmental norms in the drafting and implementation of agreements on disarmament and arms control
Res. 66/35: Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction
Res. 66/42: Problems arising from the accumulation of conventional ammunition stockpiles in surplus
Res. 66/47: The illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects
Res. 66/48: Reducing nuclear danger
Res. 66/52: Prohibition of the dumping of radioactive wastes
Res. 66/57: Convention on the Prohibition of the Use of Nuclear Weapons
Res. 66/62: Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects
Res. 66/64: Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
Res. 66/65: Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction

6 December, 2011:
Res. 66/68: Sustainable fisheries, including through the 1995 Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, and related instruments

9 December, 2011:
Res. 66/69: Assistance in mine action
Res. 66/70: Effects of atomic radiation
Res. 66/71: International cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space
Res. 66/98: Report of the International Law Commission on the work of its sixty-third session
Res. 66/99: Effects of armed conflicts on treaties
Res. 66/100: Responsibility of international organizations
Res. 66/102: The rule of law at the national and international levels
Res. 66/103: The scope and application of the principle of universal jurisdiction
Res. 66/104: The law of transboundary aquifers
Res. 66/110: Observer status for the International Renewable Energy Agency in the General Assembly

19 December, 2011:
Res. 66/142: Rights of indigenous peoples
Res. 66/154: Human rights and cultural diversity
Res. 66/155: The right to development
Res. 66/158: The right to food

22 December, 2011
Res. 66/190: Commodities
Res. 66/192: Oil slick on Lebanese shores
Res. 66/193: International cooperation and coordination for the human and ecological rehabilitation and economic development of the Semipalatinsk region of Kazakhstan
Res. 66/194: Protection of coral reefs for sustainable livelihoods and development
Res. 66/196: Sustainable tourism and sustainable development in Central America
Res. 66/197: Implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21 and the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development
Res. 66/198: Follow-up to and implementation of the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States
Res. 66/199: International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
Res. 66/200: Protection of global climate for present and future generations of humankind
Res. 66/201: Implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa
Res. 66/202: Convention on Biological Diversity
Res. 66/203: Report of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme on its twenty-sixth session
Res. 66/204: Harmony with Nature
Res. 66/205: Sustainable mountain development
Res. 66/206: Promotion of new and renewable sources of energy
Res. 66/210: Role of the United Nations in promoting development in the context of globalization and interdependence
Res. 66/220: Agriculture development and food security

23 December, 2011:
Res. 66/227: International cooperation on humanitarian assistance in the field of natural disasters, from relief to development

24 December, 2011:
Res. 66/231: Oceans and the law of the sea

16 February, 2012
Res. 66/254: United Nations reform: measures and proposals

16 March, 2012
Res. 66/256: The United Nations in global governance

27 July, 2012
Res. 66/288: The future we want

The full text of Resolutions can be accessed at the United Nations General Assembly website:

http://www.un.org/en/ga/66/resolutions.shtml

 

 

Post-2015 and SDGs

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced the members of the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development. The Panel is co-chaired by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and Prime Minister David Cameron of the UK, with 23 additional members representing governments, the private sector, academia, civil society and youth, while serving in their personal capacity.

Terms of Reference (TOR) are now available noting that the Panel and the intergovernmental Working Group on the SDGs should keep each other informed and be mutually reinforcing, and that the Panel should advise the Secretary-General on how the SDGs relate to the broader post-2015 development agenda.

The Panel will be supported by an independent secretariat and headed by a senior official who also will serve as lead author of the Panel’s final report to comprise:
- recommendations on the “vision and shape” of a Post-2015 development agenda, building on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and with a view to ending poverty;
- key principles for reshaping the global partnership for development and strengthened accountability mechanisms; and
- recommendations on creating political consensus on the post-2015 agenda, around the three dimensions of economic growth, social equality and environmental sustainability.

According to the TOR, the report will be presented to the Secretary-General in the second quarter of 2013as a "key input" to the subsequent report, on the occasion of a special event to be organized by the President of the 68th session of the UN/GA in September 2013.

Governance of Tenure

The Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security were endorsed by the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) and the FAO Council in June 2012. They are to:

- serve as a reference and set out principles and internationally accepted standards for practices for the responsible governance of tenure;

- provide a framework that States can use when developing their own strategies, policies, legislation, programmes and activities;

- allow governments, civil society, the private sector and citizens to judge whether their proposed actions and the actions of others constitute acceptable practices.

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COMIFAC: Wildlife Law

The Central Africa Forest Commission (COMIFAC) has agreed on a Regional Action Plan for Strengthening National Wildlife Law Implementation for 2012-2016. The plan consists of four elements:
- cooperation and collaboration among relevant wildlife law enforcement and prosecution authorities;
- investigations at key border and transit points, domestic markets and transboundary areas;
- effective deterrents and prosecutions; and
- awareness of illegal wildlife trade issues.

The Action Plan will form the basis of a wildlife enforcement network in Central Africa, like those already in place in Central America, Europe, South and Southeast Asia. Participants also agreed to a roadmap for the implementation of the Action Plan, which includes the submission of the Action Plan for formal endorsement at the next meeting of the Council of Ministers of COMIFAC.

Press Release

Compliance and Enforcement Summit

The 1st International Chiefs of Environmental Compliance and Enforcement (ICECE) Summit brought together national leaders of environment, biodiversity and natural resource agencies and departments with law enforcement responsibilities to develop a global strategy for addressing environmental concerns. Over three days, the 230 delegates from nearly 70 States attended thematic sessions on Investigative Assistance and Operational Support, Information Management, Capacity Building Standards, and Effective Networks, as well as commodity specific side-meetings covering fisheries, forestry, pollution, and wildlife. Particular concern was expressed from many delegates on the scale of environmental crime and the connection with organized transnational crime, including issues of smuggling, corruption, fraud, tax evasion, money laundering, and murder.

Report

Further information

Dialogue on "Harmony with Nature"

Further to the UN/GA's adoption of Resolution 65/164 "Harmony with Nature" on 20 December 2010, an interactive dialogue took place on 18 April at UN HQ to discuss "Scientific findings on the impacts of human activities on the functioning of the Earth System".

Mercury Treaty: WHO Consultation on Vaccines

Prior to the 4th meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to prepare a global legally binding instrument, states have requested additional information on alternative preservatives e.g. 2-phenoxyethanol for vaccines (instead of small quantities of mercury in thiomersal containing vaccines), and on the economic, programmatic and manufacturing implications of moving (globally) to single dose, preservative free vaccines. WHO held an information consultation from 3-4 April in Geneva for the purposes of scinentific exchange.
WHO Vaccines Website

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/.

World Water Forum Declaration

The 6th World Water Forum concluded with adoption of the Marseille Ministerial Declaration. Among reiterating commitment to the UN/MDGs and recognizing the need to build resilience to climate change and variability through integrated land and water resources management, the Declaration calls for the following priorities to be addressed, in particular at UNCSD,(Rio+20): - accelerating the implementation of "human right obligations" relating to access to safe drinking water and sanitation;
- interlinking water, energy, and food security to ensure policy coherence to avoid adverse consequences; and
- incorporating water in all its economic, social and environmental dimensions in a framework of governance, financing and cooperation.

Moving toward next round of Rio+20 meetings

In his briefings this week, Nikhil Seth, Director of DSD/DESA and Head of the Office of the UNCSD Secretariat reported that  the compilation of the zero draft for Rio+20 had received amendments from the G‐77 and China, EU, Australia, Bangladesh, Belarus, Canada, Cuba, Georgia, Holy See, Iceland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Serbia, Turkey, Switzerland and US.

It was also announced that the resulting compilation text now consists of 157 pages with over 75,000 words! It will be available to Member States through a password-protected e‐room along with original submissions from the above Member States.  

Tuesday's briefing
Wednesday's briefing

UN/SG's Recent Appointments

Ban Ki-moon made a number of high-level appointments as he entered his 2nd term:- Jan Eliasson, former Swedish Foreign Minister, is Deputy Secretary General;
- Maged Abdelaziz, Egypt's UN Ambassdor since 2005, as Special Adviser on Africa;
- Angela Kane, of Germany, as High Representative for Disarmament Affiars; and
- Sven Alkalaj, former Foreign Minister of Bosnia-Herzegovina, as Executive Secretary of UNECE.

Environmental Laureates and Rio+20

The European Environment Foundation sponsored the 1st International Covention of Environmental Laureates from 8-11 March 2012 with 63 participants from 37 States convening in Freiburg (Germany. The meeting concluded with the adoption of the "Freiburg Call for Action" in relation to UNCSD (Rio+20) calling upon the Conference to come up with actionable means to achieve sustainable development in the following critical areas:

• We urge governing bodies on all levels, as well as business and civil society, to become pioneers of change and successful social innovators;
• We have to move towards equitable budgets per capita for energy, emissions, land use, water and resources;
• To be sustainable, economic development must reduce overconsumption, be based on an ethical and fair financial system, eradicate poverty, and be in harmony with nature;
• Sustainable Development is a key security issue for all nations and has to be treated and funded as such.

UN Personnel Update

The UN World Food Program has named Ertharin Cousin (USA) to assume the post of Executive Director when Josette Sheeran’s five-year term ends in April.

Margaret Chan (China), Director General of the WHO has been nominated for a second five-year term by the agency’s Executive Board. 

The UN Population Fund announced that Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen (Denmark), will be working at the Assistant Secretary-General level as the new Deputy Executive Director.

It is reported that by mid-2012, at least eight under secretaries-general will be replaced, including Kiyotaka Akasaka (Japan), Head of Communications and Public Information; B. Lynn Pascoe (USA) running the Department of Political Affairs; Sha Zukang (China), Chief of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs; and Sergio Duarte (Brazil), High Representative for Disarmament Affairs.

ICCWC and Tigers

The International Consortium to Combat Wildlife Crime recently convened the Heads of Police and Customs Seminar on Tiger Crime.

Further Information

GPA/IGR-3: Declaration

The 3rd Intergovernmental Review on the Implementation of the Global Programme for Action (IGR-3) provided an opportunity for national governments and regional organizations to renew commitments to the protection of the marine environment from land-based activities. Participants adopted the Manila Declaration and their report.

Geo-engineering and Biodiversity

A draft study prepared by the CBD Secretariat, in response to Decision X/33, para 9(l), compiles and synthesizes available scientific information on the possible impacts of geo-engineering techniques on biodiversity, including preliminary information on associated social, economic and cultural considerations. The study is now in its second round of the peer-review process by Parties. The final report will be used to prepare a pre-session document for the 16th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-16).

Comments and views are due to the CBD Secretariat no later than 22 February.

Documents

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.

  

Transboundary Aquifers

The UN/GA recently adopted Resolution 66/104 “Law of Transboundary Aquifers,” calling on the UNESCO's International Hydrological Programme (IHP) to support countries in the sustainable and equitable management of their transboundary aquifers. Furthermore, the resolution encourages UNESCO-IHP to continue its scientific and technical work on the assessment of the transboundary aquifers of the world, noting that this action is key to the peaceful sharing of groundwater resources, the strengthening of regional cooperation and the prevention of conflicts. The UN/GA also recommends that the set of 19 draft articles already annexed to the first Resolution on the topic (R. 63/124 approved in 2008) be considered by member States when negotiating future agreements or arrangements for the management of their transboundary aquifers, where appropriate.

Corruption and access to land

FAO and Transparency International have produced a working paper highlighting the link between weak governance and the likelihood of corruption in land occupancy and administration in more than 60 countries.  In particular, the paper notes that the rapid expansion of the biofuel industry has provided the opportunity for corruption in the land use sector in a number of countries.

Rio+20 Compilation Document

All submissions to the UNCSD Compilation Document are now searchable on the webpage.

Biodiversity Across Sectors

"Review of the biodiversity requirements of standards and certification schemes: a snapshot of current practice" considers 36 environmental standards, sampled from eight business sectors and aims to provide an understanding of the treatment of biodiversity across sectors, highlight commonalities and differences, and help businesses and funding agencies to improve their internal processes.

UNIDO: 14th General Conference

The UN Industrial Development Organization's (UNIDO) General Conference concluded with the adoption of decisions and resolutions on, inter alia:
- Strengthening UNIDO Activities in Energy and Environment;
- Youth Employment; Knowledge Networking and Knowledge Sharing for Achieving Development Goals; and
- UNIDO Activities in the Field of Industrial Policy with a View to Promoting Social Inclusion.

French language information regarding Rio+20

For French language announcements, the Médiaterre portal on Rio+20 is a useful reference to UNCSD (Rio+20)-related events, policy developments, publications and new initiatives. This site, sponsored by La Francophonie (OIF), has been publishing news on sustainable development issues for the Francophone world since 2002.

EU/Fisheries Ministers

EU Ministers for Fisheries have reached an agreement to regulate fishing opportunities and promote sustainable management in the Black Sea through inspection schemes and benchmarks to address the misreporting and illegal fishing for turbot. The Commission also briefed Ministers on its proposal for a regulation regarding countries allowing non-sustainable fishing setting out a mechanism that will:
- ensure that the measures will be proportionate;
- guarantee respect of international law;
- allow third countries concerned to be heard and to have an opportunity to rectify their action;
- empower the Commission to adopt measures; and
- allow a rapid termination of the measures whenever appropriate corrective actions have been adopted.

Council Conclusions

Global Forest Loss

FAO and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation have published a report titled "Mountain Forests in a Changing World" bringing attention to the threats to mountain forests including increasing temperatures and wildfires, population growth and food and fuel insecurity. It also calls on national policymakers to take the protection of mountain forests into account and integrate these concerns into climate change mitigation and adaptation policies.

UN/ECE: Sustainable Energy

The report of the 20th Annual Session of the Committee on Sustainable Energy is available at: http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/energy/se/pdfs/comm20/ECE.ENERGY.87_e.pdf

 

 

Vienna Convention/Montreal Protocol

Described as one of the most difficult meetings in the Protocol's recent history,

COP-9/MOP-23 adopted more than 25 decisions, including:

- a US$450 million replenishment of the MLF for the period of 2012-2014;

- issues related to exemptions;

- mitigation of ozone depleting substances (ODS) emissions from feedstock and process-agent uses;

- updating the nomination processes and recusal guidelines for the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP);

- the treatment of ODS used to service ships; and

- additional information on alternatives.

 

Decisions beginning on page 27

UN/EMG tackles green economy

"Working towards a balanced and inclusive green economy: A UN system-wide perspective” has been released by the UN Environment Management Group (EMG). The report was prepared by 40 UN entities, is the first inter-agency report on the topic and offers guidance to UN agencies and member States on coherently supporting the transition at international and country levels.

Rio+20: Last regional preparations

The Chairs' Summary of the UN/ECE Regional Preparatory Meeting for UNCSD (Rio+20)  has been transmitted to New York to serve as input for the 2nd Intersessional Meeting from 15-16 December 2011.

FAO: Renewed efforts for Plant Genetic Resources

The 2nd Global Plan of Action for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA) has been adopted by the Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization, to accelerate the implementation of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGR); and strengthen conservation and sustainable use of plants and seed systems through:
-  better management of crop diversity in farmers’ fields;
-  developing strategies to protect, collect and conserve crop wild relatives and wild food plants that are under threat,
- support use of a wider range of traits for plant breeding, and
- strengthen seed systems especially of locally adapted varieties.

Publication: Second Global Plan of Action for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

ITTA 2006 In Force

The International Tropical Timber Agreement, 2006 entered into force on 12 December 2011. With the ratification by the Government of Benin, the new agreement takes the place of its predecessor.

Press release

UNFCCC/COP-17

After extended weekend negotiations, COP-17 concluded with the adoption of the "Durban Platform," a set of decisions that lay the ground for adopting a legal agreement on climate change as soon as possible, and no later than 2015.

All decisions

FAO: Climate Change and Wildlife

Focusing on tropical terrestrial wildlife and habitats, this report notes that the biodiversity crisis is likely to be made worse by climate change and explores issues related to:
- ecosystem change;
- species interactions;
- human-wildlife conflicts;
- wildland fires; and
- health and diseases.

As potential mitigating factors, it highlights goals related to:
- maintaining current ecosystems;
- adaptive management;
- restoring ecosystems; and
- landscape approaches.

The paper also calls for developing and communicating information on the value of species and ecosystems to humanity, describes the role of protected areas, and discusses mainstreaming biodiversity needs.

Publication: Wildlife in a Changing Climate

Costa Rica: Implementing CBD

The World Future Council (WFC) and the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL) have launched a new report titled Crafting Visionary Biodiversity Laws: Costa Rica’s Biodiversity Law 1998.

IPBES During Intersessional Process

An International expert workshop titled "Policy support through relevant tools and methodologies in the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services convened in Bonn (Germany) from 7-9 December.

The workshop intended to stimulate new ideas and rationale on the IPBES policy support function and conceptual discussions arose on the relationships between the different policy tools (indicators, risk analysis and cost-benefit analysis, modelling and scenarios, assessments, networking) and the different policy functions (strategic policy development, policy implementation, policy evaluation, raising awareness) across the global, national and local scales.

Documents circulated and produced during the workshop are available at: www.bmu.de/ipbes

The next IPBES plenary session will be held in Panama City (Panama) on 16-20 April, 2012.

CMS/COP-10 Outcome

Delegates to the 10th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species adopted 29 Resolutions including on: synergies and partnerships; overview of the process regarding the “future shape” of CMS, budget, enhanced engagement with the Global Environment Facility (GEF); wildlife disease and migratory species; migratory terrestrial species; global programme of work for cetaceans; and bird flyway conservation policy.

New Approach to MPAs in ABNJ

A new report entitled "A legal scenario analysis for marine protected areas in areas beyond national jurisdiction" is the product of a seminar using foresight methodologies to stimulate discussions on pathways to ensure efficient governance through strong, long-term and articulated strategies.

WHO: "Health in the Green Economy"

The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a report on the health benefits of low-carbon transport measures, such as rapid transit, walking or cycling. Recommended strategies include:
- integrating urban residential and commercial areas through more compact land use;
- including health and equity costs in cost-benefit analyses of transport projects; and
- improving active transport, rapid transit and public transport as cost effective measures to mitigate GHG emissions.

The report further stresses that healthier transport can help close the health equity gap in low- and middle-income countries by:
- reducing air pollution;
- providing benefits to women, older adults, children, people with disabilities and lower income groups;
- reducing the need for biofuels and related threats to food security; and
- reducing the use of older, more polluting vehicles.

Report: Health Co-benefits of Climate Change Mitigation - Transport Sector

Japan (ICR) vs. Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

According to media reports, Japanese whalers filed a lawsuit on December 8 in the US District Court of Seattle to prevent "acts of violence" by Sea Shepherd activists during this year's whaling operations in the Antarctic. In a statement, Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR), and Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha Ltd, which operates the whaling vessels, said they had filed the lawsuit to establish legal protection of their ships and crews. A spokesman for the whalers said the lawsuit would only target violent activities and did not seek monetary compensation from Sea Shepherd, but did seek a permanent stop to the activists' actions. Sea Shepherd founder, Paul Watson, said the ships his organisation used in past years were not owned by Sea Shepherd USA, nor were they US-flagged vessels and thus, the US government and courts have no authority over the ships.

Joint Press Release from Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR), and Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha Ltd

Cartagena Protocol: National Reports

The CBD Secretariat has has released the second national reports on implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, as well as an interactive tool for information search and analysis of the reports. According to a notification, the Secretariat has received 124 reports to date, which are made available through the "Finding Information" section of the Biosafety Clearing House (BCH).

National Reports Website

Marine Biodiversity BBNJ

The IUCN Environmental Law Centre (IUCN-ELC) in collaboration with the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) recently organized an international seminar with the objective of making substantive progress in the further development of ideas and concepts regarding recommendations from the 4th meeting of the UN Ad Hoc Open-ended Informal Working Group to study issues relating to the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction (BBNJ). Three main issues discussed, amongst others, that play a key role in the BBNJ process included:
- Possible ways of sharing benefits from the utilization of marine genetic resources accessed in areas beyond national jurisdiction;
- Possible governance frameworks for the establishment and management of a network of Marine Protected Areas on the High Seas; and
- Possible role of and consequences for an UNCLOS implementing agreement.

The workshop report will be published at the beginning of 2012.

Background information and presentations

Gorilla Agreement/MOP-2

Delegates to MOP-2 of the Agreement on the Conservation of Gorillas and their Habitats discussed:
-  the outcomes of the International Year of the Gorilla (YoG) 2009;
- elected three experts in forest management and conservation, environmental law and wild animal health to the Technical Committee (TC);
- agreed on a draft reporting format; and
- adopted resolutions on institutional arrangements for the Agreement, the review of Action Plans, and cooperation on law enforcement.


Documents