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Reporting on Environment and Sustainable Development in Africa
IISD REPORTING SERVICES COVERAGE ON WATER

COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

THE THIRTEENTH SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: The thirteenth session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-13) took place from 11-22 April 2005, at UN headquarters in New York. CSD-13 was the second session to be held since the new multi-year programme of work was adopted at CSD-11 in 2003. The final document contains decisions on CSD-13’s three thematic areas, as well as on “interlinkages and cross-cutting issues” and on “international institutional arrangements for monitoring and follow-up of CSD-13 decisions.” IISD RS Coverage.  

THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL PREPARATORY MEETING FOR THE 13TH SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMEN: The Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting (IPM) for the thirteenth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-13) took place from 28 February to 4 March 2005, at UN headquarters in New York. The IPM sought to discuss policy options and possible actions to enable the implementation of measures and policies concerning water, sanitation and human settlements – the thematic cluster of issues for the CSD-12/CSD-13 Implementation Cycle. IISD RS Coverage.  

TWELFTH SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: The twelfth session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-12) was held from 14-30 April 2004, at UN headquarters in New York.  CSD-12 undertook an evaluation of progress in implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, focusing on identifying constraints, obstacles, successes and lessons learned with regard to water, sanitation and human settlements, the thematic cluster of issues for the CSD-12 and CSD-13 Implementation Cycle. At the conclusion of CSD-12, the Commission adopted the report of the session, which included a non-negotiated Chair’s Summary. IISD RS Coverage.

GLOBAL PROGRAMME OF ACTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT FROM LAND-BASED ACTIVITIES

SECOND INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW MEETING OF THE GLOBAL PROGRAMME OF ACTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT FROM LAND-BASED ACTIVITIES: The Second Intergovernmental Review (IGR-2) meeting of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA) took place in Beijing, China, from 16-20 October 2006. The meeting was hosted by the State Environmental Protection Administration of China and attended by over 400 participants, representing governments, international and regional organizations, international financial institutions, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The goals of IGR-2 were to: strengthen the implementation of the GPA at national, regional and global levels; contribute to the achievement of specific targets of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation as they relate to the GPA, the ecosystem approach, and sanitation; and provide guidance on the programme of work for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) /GPA Coordination Office for the period 2007-2011. IISD RS Coverage.

AFRICAN REGIONAL COVERAGE (ARC) PROJECT: COVERAGE OF AFRICAN WATER MEETINGS

CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOP ON PARTNERSHIPS FOR IMPROVING THE PERFORMANCE OF WATER UTILITIES IN THE AFRICA REGION: The Capacity Building Workshop on Partnerships for Improving the Performance of Water Utilities in the Africa Region discussed the implementation of the global water and sanitation agenda in the African context. Organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) and the United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-HABITAT) the workshop focused on contributing towards the implementation of the global water and sanitation agenda by strengthening the capacities of water utilities in meeting the dual challenge of service expansion and efficient delivery of services. Participants developed a Nairobi Statement, which states the need to, inter alia: develop and implement programmes to overcome limited technical, financial and institutional capacities; promote commitment, support and participation of all stakeholders to improve the performance of water utilities; increase finance to improve and extend safe and adequate access to water and sanitation for all; recommend separation of the dual functions of regulatory and operational activities that will improve the performance of public utilities in delivering water and sanitation services; implement actions regarding benchmarking of utilities, such as establishing criteria for customer satisfaction, evaluating the performance of utility managers, serving the poor and creating gender balance in the utilities; and develop and institutionalize partnerships to promote the exchange of experiences and facilitate contact among utilities. IISD RS coverage.

THE INTER-MINISTERIAL DIALOGUE ON BUILDING AN AFRICAN NETWORK OF CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE IN WATER SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY: The Inter-Ministerial Dialogue on Building an African Network of Centers of Excellence in Water Sciences and Technology was held jointly by the Bureaus of African Ministerial Council on Science and Technology (AMCOST) and the African Ministerial Council on Water (AMCOW) on Wednesday, 22 November 2006, in Cairo, Egypt. The dialogue was attended by ministers from Lesotho, Senegal, South Africa and Zimbabwe, senior representatives from Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Africa, and representatives from the Office of Science and Technology of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the African Union (AU) Commission. Throughout the day, delegates considered issues related to criteria and guidelines, financial mechanisms and governance for the network of centers of excellence in water sciences and technology (the network), before agreeing to its establishment. IISD RS coverage.

THE UN FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC) AFRICAN REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON ADAPTATION, ACCRA, GHANA: The UNFCCC African Regional Workshop on Adaptation aimed at highlighting African concerns related to climate change adaptation and vulnerability reduction, with a view to identifying specific adaptation needs to be considered under the UNFCCC. The workshop was structured around four sessions: impact and vulnerability assessments; adaptation planning and implementation; regional collaboration; and outcomes and ways forward. The first three sessions consisted mainly of country presentations followed by a question-and-answer period and open discussion. Session three, on regional collaboration, took the form of two roundtable discussions, while session four, on outcomes and ways forward, consisted of discussions in three breakout groups aimed at identifying key adaptation needs. IISD RS coverage.

ELEVENTH SESSION OF THE AFRICAN MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE ON THE ENVIRONMENT (AMCEN), BRAZZAVILLE, REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO:  AMCEN-11 opened with an expert group segment which was followed by a high-level segment, whereby Ministers of the environment from across Africa, in addition to delegates from major inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations, engaged in a policy dialogue to discuss pressing issues affecting the continent. Based on input from the expert group segment, the ministerial segment emerged with the adoption of 11 decisions and the Brazzaville Declaration, which seek to further AMCEN’s goal of halting environmental degradation and promoting sustainable development in Africa. Several major environmental governance and finance issues were debated at length, most notably the prospects for the establishment of an African Environmental Facility for financing environmental activities in Africa. IISD RS coverage.

“YOUR MEETING” BULLETIN (YMB) WATER COVERAGE

4TH WORLD WATER FORUM: The 4th World Water Forum convened in Mexico City, Mexico from Thursday, 16 March to Wednesday, 22 March 2006. The Forum is the largest international event on freshwater, and seeks to enable multi-stakeholder participation and dialogue to influence water policy-making at a global level, in pursuit of sustainable development. The 4th Forum’s main theme, “Local actions for a global challenge,” was addressed through five framework themes: water for growth and development; implementing integrated water resources management (IWRM); water supply and sanitation for all; water management for food and the environment; and risk management. A Ministerial Declaration was adopted, calling for international action on water and sanitation issues. IISD RS Coverage.

SUMMARY OF THE SECOND INTERNATIONAL FORUM ON PARTNERSHIPS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: The Second International Forum on Partnerships for Sustainable Development convened at the Palais des Congrès in Marrakech, Morocco, from 21-23 March. It was organized by the Ministry of Territory Planning, Water and Environment in Morocco (MATEE) under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, in cooperation with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA).  The purpose of the Forum was to advance sustainable development implementation through strengthening and fostering water- and energy-related partnerships and to build on the outcomes of the First International Forum on Partnerships, which took place in Rome, Italy, in March 2004.  IISD RS Coverage.

THE FAO/NETHERLANDS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON WATER FOR FOOD AND ECOSYSTEMS: The FAO/Netherlands International Conference on Water for Food and Ecosystems met from 31 January to 4 February 2005 at the Netherlands Congress Centre, in The Hague, The Netherlands. The Conference, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of the Netherlands, was attended by over 400 participants representing governments, inter-governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as well as academia and the private sector. IISD RS Coverage.

CONFERENCE ON ASSURING FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY IN AFRICA BY 2020:
The Conference on Assuring Food and Nutrition Security in Africa by 2020 was held at the Speke Resort and Country Lodge in Kampala, Uganda, from 1-3 April 2004. The Conference was organized by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), hosted by the Government of Uganda, and supported by a Conference Advisory Committee. Approximately 550 participants attended, including three heads of state, ministers and other senior officials, as well as representatives of academic and research institutions, UN bodies, intergovernmental, non-governmental, business and industry organizations, development agencies, and the media. IISD RS Coverage

THE PAN-AFRICAN IMPLEMENTATION AND PARTNERSHIP CONFERENCE ON WATER: The Conference brought together approximately 1,000 delegates and 45 water and environment ministers representing countries throughout the African continent, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other key stakeholders to address the implication of the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) on regional water initiatives and the continent’s role in implementing the Summit’s outcomes. The Conference also provided a platform for African countries, the international community and UN agencies to reaffirm their commitment to solving Africa’s water crisis and to collectively implement the actions envisaged in the African Water Vision, the Water Agenda of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the WSSD’s targets and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on water. The outcome of this meeting will be transmitted to the UN Secretary-General to contribute to the preparations for CSD-12. IISD RS Coverage.

3RD WORLD WATER FORUM & MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE: The 3rd World Water Forum met from 16-23 March 2003 in Kyoto, Osaka and Shiga, Japan, and was organized jointly by the World Water Council and the Government of Japan. The Ministerial Conference on the occasion of the Forum, organized by the Government of Japan, took place from 22-23 March in Kyoto. Representatives from over 170 countries as well as participants from UN agencies, inter-governmental organizations (IGOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academia, business and industry, youth organizations and media outlets attended the eight-day meeting in Kyoto, Osaka and Shiga, three cities located in the Lake Biwa and Yodo River Basin Area. IISD RS Coverage.

STAKEHOLDER DIALOGUE ON SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT: The Stakeholder Dialogue on Sustainable Water Management – Priorities for Policy Frameworks and Best Practices convened from 25-26 April 2002 at the Swiss Re Centre for Global Dialogue in Rüschlikon, Switzerland. Organized by the Swiss Federal Government, which was represented by the interdepartmental working group, IDARio, and Swiss Re, the Dialogue brought together over 140 participants from governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, and the academic, investment and business communities. The Dialogue’s deliberations will feed into a thesis paper, which the Swiss Government plans to use when developing its position for negotiations on freshwater issues at the WSSD, and as a means of communicating its intent to play an active role in the international debate on water. IISD RS Coverage.



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