RECENT COVERAGE
BY IISD REPORTING SERVICES
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COMINGS
AND GOINGS
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Appointments and
Departures
PARAKATIL
LEAVES IUCN WESCANA PROGRAMME
Francis
Parakatil, head of IUCN’s Programme for West, Central Asia and
North Africa (WESCANA), is retiring this year after 16 years on
the job. Until the new location of the WESCANA Programme is
identified and a new Regional Director recruited, William J.
Jackson, Director Global Programme, will act as the ad
interim Regional Director, supported by Mohammad Rafiq,
Senior Advisor-Global Programme, and the WESCANA team.
Vacancies
Columbia
University's IRI seeks Director General
FAO
seeks senior liaison officer
FAO
seeks senior policy officer
– 3 May
Birdlife
Int'l seeks programme manager for Cambodia - 1 May
UNEP
seeks project officer for Latin America
– 30
April
Click here for more information on new appointments and
vacancies
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UPCOMING
MEETINGS
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Background note for special High-level Meeting of ECOSOC with
BWIs and WTO available
The
background note for the Special High-Level Meeting of the ECOSOC
with the Bretton Woods Institutions and the WTO scheduled for 14
April is now available in an advance unedited version. The
website contains the latest version of the programme. In view of
the theme chosen for the meeting by ECOSOC on 30 January 2003
(Decision 2003/209), this note focuses on increasing the
coherence of economic policy for the implementation of the
Monterrey Consensus through more effective coordination and
cooperation at the national, regional and global levels.
Recently added
meetings:
Conference on Biodiversity,
Biotechnology and the Protection of Traditional Knowledge:
4-6 April. St. Louis, Missouri, US
Conference on Int'l
Public Goods and Transfer of Technology after the 1994 TRIPS
Agreement: 4-6 April. Durham, North Carolina, US
Fifth Session of the Interim
Commission on Phytosanitary Measures: 7-11 April. Rome, Italy
Int'l Scientific
Conference on Global Climate Change and Biodiversity:
8-10 April. East Anglia, Norwich, UK
Ramsar Scientific and
Technical Panel Meeting: 8-11 April. Gland,
Switzerland
UNU Meeting on Biotechnology
and International Trade in Southeast Asia: 22-29
April. Hanoi, Vietnam
Sixth Governing Board
Meeting of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility:
28 April - 2 May. Copenhagen, Denmark
Int'l Congress on
Restructuring the Energy Sector in Transition Countries: 28-30 April. Leipzig, Germany
FAO-ECE Forest Communicators
Network: 5-9 May. Edinburgh, UK
ABCDE Economic Development
Meeting: 15-16 May. Paris, France
Conference on Food
Production and the New Trade Agenda: 19-20 May.
London, UK
2010: The Biodiversity
Challenge: 21-23 May. London, UK
Int'l Conference on
Economics of Sustainable Forest Management: 22-24 May. Toronto, Canada
14th Int'l Training
Programme on Utility Regulation and Strategy: 9-20
June. Gainesville, Florida, US
Second Int'l
Watershed Management Seminar: 15-28 June.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US
23rd Annual Conference of
the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA'03):
17-20 June 2003. Marrakech, Morocco
10th Regular Session of the
Council of the NAFTA Commission on Environment and Cooperation:
23-25 June 2003. Washington, DC, US
Workshop on the Forest
Science/Policy Interface in Europe, Africa and the Middle East:
23-27 June 2003. Copenhagen, Denmark
27th Session of the World
Heritage Committee: 29 June - 5 July. Suzhou, China.
47th Annual Conference of
the International Society for the Systems Sciences (ISSS):
6-11 July. Crete, Greece
Fifth Session of the
Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic
Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore: 7-17
July. Geneva, Switzerland
Think Tank Conference III:
8-11 July. Alajuela, Costa Rica
Eco-Innovate 03 Forum:
14-18 July. Sydney, Australia
Protected Area Management
Seminar: 7-23 Aug. Missoula, Montana, US
19th Meeting of the CITES
Animals Committee: 18-21 Aug. Geneva,
Switzerland
Europarc 2003: 27
Aug- 31 Aug. Stryn, Norway
International seminar on
forest and natural resources administration and management:
24 Aug - 11 Sept. Denver, Colorado, US
Scientific seminar on forest
research crossing borders: 28-29 Aug. Joensuu,
Finland
Course on facilitating
multi-stakeholder processes and social learning: 15
Sept - 3 Oct. Wageningen, Netherlands
Sustainable resources 2003:
an international forum connecting people with practical,
sustainable solutions to world poverty: 1-4 Oct.
Boulder, Colorado, US
ITTC-35: 3-8 Nov. Yokohama, Japan
Int'l Workshop on
Forest Protected Areas: 6-8 Nov. Montreal,
Canada
Int'l Conference on
Sustainability Indicators: 6-8 Nov. Valletta,
Malta
Int'l Conference on
Quality Timber Products of Teak from Sustainable Forest
Management: 2-5 Dec. Peechi, Kerala, India
Int'l Conference on
Sustainability Engineering and Science: 9-11 July
2004. Auckland, New Zealand
Click here
to download complete list of upcoming meetings
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KYOTO WATER
FORUM CONCLUDES WITH MANY COMMITMENTS, BUT NO AGREEMENT ON FINANCING
AND HUMAN RIGHT TO WATER
16-23 March 2003 | Kyoto, Osaka and Shiga, Japan
Participants at the
3rd World Water Forum met in 351 sessions organized around 33 themes
and five Regional Days. Theme issues encompassed a range of topics
including: water supply, sanitation, hygiene and water pollution;
cities; governance; floods; integrated water resources management;
peace; agriculture and food; poverty; financing water
infrastructure; and dams and sustainable development. In many
sessions, delegates debated on the human right to water and
financing water infrastructure, with no agreement on either matter.
The Forum concluded on Sunday, 23 March, following issue of a
preliminary Summary Forum Statement. A Ministerial Conference also
closed on Sunday following adoption of a Ministerial Declaration and
a Portfolio of Water Actions. Click here for the
Sustainable Developments report of the meeting.
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PREPARATIONS FOR UPCOMING CSD-11 UNDERWAY
24-26 March 2003 | UN Headquarters, New York
Informal consultations
convened recently to continue preparations for the eleventh session
of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-11). Discussions
focused on the CSD’s future Programme of Work, and the future
organization and methods of work for the CSD. Delegates also
considered how to enhance contributions from and participation of
various implementation actors and the CSD’s role as a focal point
for partnerships. Click here a
brief Linkages write-up on the meeting’s highlights. Click here
for a comprehensive
Earth Negotiations Bulletin briefing note on the meeting.
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CBD SBSTTA-8
ADDRESSES MOUNTAINS AND MARINE BIODIVERSITY
10-14 March 2003 | Montreal, Canada
Delegates to the eighth
meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and
Technological Advice (SBSTTA-8) of the Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD) recently adopted recommendations on: mountain
biodiversity, the main theme of the meeting; inland waters; marine
and coastal biodiversity; dry and sub-humid lands; biodiversity and
tourism; and SBSTTA operations. The meeting did not fully complete
deliberations on the components of a draft work programme on
mountain biodiversity, and mandated a technical expert group to
further consider the issue before SBSTTA-9. Delegates were
particularly pleased with the meeting’s outcomes on marine and
coastal biodiversity. Click
here for the
ENB report. |
CBD DISCUSSES
MULTI-YEAR PROGRAMME OF WORK AND
WSSD OUTCOMES
17-20 March 2003 | Montreal, Canada
Held immediately after
SBSTTA-8, the Open-ended Intersessional Meeting on the Multi-Year
Programme of Work for the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the CBD
up to 2010 adopted recommendations on, inter alia: the multi-year programme of
work for the COP up to 2010; WSSD outcomes as they relates to the Convention
process; achieving the CBD and WSSD 2010 target to significantly
reduce the current rate of biodiversity loss; and an international
regime for access and benefit sharing.
Click here for
the
ENB report. |
COFO CONSIDERS
MAJOR FORESTRY POLICY ISSUES
10-14 March 2003 | Rome, Italy
Discussions at the recent 16th
session of the Committee on Forestry of the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) focused on major forestry policy issues, such as
the role of the Regional Forestry Commissions in implementing the
IPF and IFF proposals for action, forests and freshwater, national
forest programmes as a mechanism to implement the key outcomes of
the World Food Summit and WSSD; decisions of FAO Governing
Bodies; FAO programmes in forestry; review of FAO programmes; and
the FAO medium-term planning process. Click here for the
ENB report.
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UNFF MEETING
FOCUSES ON IMPLEMENTATION OF IPF/IFF PROPOSALS FOR ACTION
17-20 March 2003 | Viterbo, Italy
The United Nations Forum on
Forests (UNFF) Country-Led Initiative on Lessons Learned in
Monitoring, Assessment and Reporting on Implementation of IPF/IFF
Proposals for Action met recently to discuss: approaches to monitoring and PFA implementation,
stakeholder collaboration to improve country capacity to monitor,
assess and report, and assessment of countries’ relations with the
UNFF. Conclusions and recommendations will be forwarded to the
third session of the UNFF. Click here for
Sustainable Development’s report.
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RECENT MEETINGS
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PEOPLE’S
WATER FORUM ASSEMBLES AS ALTERNATIVE TO KYOTO FORUM
21-22 March 2003 | Florence, Italy
Convened as an
alternative water forum to the 3rd World Water Forum held in Kyoto
the same week, this Forum called for recognition of water as a
legally enforceable human right and urged an end to the trend of
water privatization. This Forum was also organized as a follow-up to
the World Social Forum held in Porto Alegre every January, an event
which in itself is held as an alternative response to the Davos
World Economic Forum.
More information. |
UN COMMISSION
FAILS TO ADOPT LANGUAGE ON WOMEN’S HUMAN RIGHTS AND VIOLENCE AGAINST
WOMEN
3-14 March 2003 | UNHQ, New York
The UN Commission on
the Status of Women failed to adopt its draft-agreed conclusions on
women’s human rights and the elimination of all forms of violence
against women and girls at the close of its 47th session.
More information.
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AARHUS
CONVENTION’S TASK FORCE MEETS FOR THE FIRST TIME
10-11 March 2003 | Brussels, Belgium
Established under the
Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in
Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus
Convention), the task force meeting: examined good practices and
identified further activities to support the Convention’s
implementation; assessed the impact of the costs of and delay in
access to justice on its effectiveness and the needs of various
stakeholders; and shared experience with access to justice in
relation to relevant articles of the Convention.
More information.
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PUBLIC HEARING
DISCUSSES FRAMEWORK FOR INVESTMENT RULES
6
March 2003 | Brussels, Belgium
Organized by the Heinrich Böll
Foundation EU Regional Office in collaboration with the European
Parliament, this public hearing assessed the outcomes of the WSSD on
globalization, trade and corporate accountability in the field of
water, addressed several sustainable development-related aspects of
the EU’s services liberalization and investment agenda in the WTO,
and elaborated on alternatives to trade and investment
liberalization.
More information.
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WORKSHOP
CONSIDERS
CIVIL SOCIETY INPUT TO AFLEG
6-7
Mar 2003 | Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
A workshop recently convened
to develop civil society input for the Africa Ministerial Conference
on Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (AFLEG). The AFLEG meeting
was scheduled to take place 1-4 April 2003, but has been postponed
due to the war in Iraq.
More information.
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EXPERT LEVEL
MEETING PREPARES FOR MCPFE
12-14 February 2003 | Vienna, Austria
Delegates gathered in Vienna
recently to prepare for the upcoming 4th Ministerial Conference for the
Protection of Forests in Europe (MCPFE). Participants reached
agreement on the content of the Conference documents – a Vienna
Declaration and five resolutions.
More information.
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UNESCO CONVENES
SESSION TO
REVISE GUIDELINES FOR
WORLD HERITAGE CONVENTION
17-22 March 2003 | Paris, France
UNESCO recently convened
an extraordinary session of the World Heritage Committee to revise
the operational guidelines for the implementation of the World
Heritage Convention.
More information.
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UNESCO-NEPAD
CONVENE
JOINT SEMINAR
5-8
Mar 2003 | Ouagadougou, Burkina
Faso
Participants to this
meeting convened to examine issues of education, water,
biodiversity, cultural diversity and access to information and
knowledge in Africa.
More information.
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CODEX TASK FORCE
ADOPTS
FINAL STANDARD ON BIOTECH FOOD
11-14 March 2003 | Yokohama, Japan
The Codex Alimentarius
Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Food Derived from
Biotechnology recently adopted the draft Guideline for the conduct
of food safety assessment of foods produced using recombinant DNA
microorganisms. Delegates also finally approved a two-fold safety
assessment of both the GM microorganism and the food produced with
its aid.
More information.
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PROGRESS MADE IN
SETTING CONSERVATION TRUST FOR WORLD’S SEED COLLECTIONS
25-26 February 2003 | Rome, Italy
The interim Panel of Eminent
Experts for the Establishment of the Global Conservation Trust,
which operates within the framework of the International Treaty on
Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, met for the first
time recently to consider legal options and rules of governance of
the Trust, and draft ethical guidelines for the
receipt, management and disbursement of funds.
More information.
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MEDIA REPORTS
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ILO OFFICIALLY EMBRACES
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The International
Labour Organisation is now formally taking concrete steps to help
implement outcomes from the WSSD.
More.
UNFPA EXPRESSES
CONCERN AT DECLINE IN RESOURCES FOR REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
The international
community is lagging behind its commitment to invest US$17billion
annually on population and reproductive health, says UNFPA.
More.
COMPLIANCE MECHANISM
FOR
AARHUS CONVENTION
LAUNCHED
The UN
Economic Commission for Europe has launched a new compliance
mechanism aimed at underpinning public participation in
environmental decision-making under the Århus Convention.
More.
EXPERT COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDS EXPANDING
ROTTERDAM PIC LIST
A committee
of government appointed experts has recommended that the list of
chemicals regulated under the Rotterdam Convention be expanded to
include all forms of asbestos, three pesticides and two forms of
lead.
More.
EU REGULATION
IMPLEMENTING ROTTERDAM CONVENTION
ENTERS INTO FORCE
An
EU
Regulation with the aim of implementing the Rotterdam Convention has
recently entered into force.
More.
EU DELAYS DECISION TO BAN ALDICARB PESTICIDE
The plans of the EU to
outlaw a worm-killing pesticide used on sugar beet and root
vegetables have been shelved for several weeks, while member states
resolve their differences over the safety of the pesticide.
More.
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UNEP INITIATES
STUDY ON ENVIRONMENT IN IRAQ
UNEP has initiated a study
to assess the status of the environment in Iraq.
More.
ANNAN CHALLENGES
WORLD’S SCIENTISTS TO ENGAGE IN DEVELOPMENT ISSUES
The way in which
scientific endeavors are pursued globally is marked by clear
inequalities, said UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in a recent
editorial in Science Magazine.
More.
PACIFIC ISLANDS
FORUM SECRETARIAT TO ESTABLISH PERMANENT DELEGATION IN GENEVA
The Pacific Islands Forum recently announced its plan to establish permanent
representation in Geneva to ensure that the interests of its
participating members are registered within the WTO Doha Round of
trade negotiations.
More.
DUTCH TAKE THE
HELM IN CO2 TRADING PROJECTS FOR KYOTO
The Dutch have recently
announced that they will purchase more than 16 megatonnes of carbon
dioxide emission credits through 18 projects focusing on developing
sustainable energy and clean technologies.
More.
UK CRAFTS FUTURE
FOR A
LOW CARBON ECONOMY
The UK Government recently
launched a white paper on the UK’s energy future.
More.
US DOE ANNOUNCES
US$1BILLION POLLUTION-FREE POWER PLANT PROJECT
The US Department of
Energy (DOE) recently announced a billion dollar project to build a
prototype cutting-edge fossil fuel power plant that will produce
electricity and hydrogen from coal, while capturing greenhouse gases
and other air pollutants.
More.
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SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
Just sustainabilities: development in an unequal world
(Earthscan,
2003) This book, edited by Julian Agyeman, Robert D. Bullard and Bob
Evans, argues that social and environmental justice within and between
nations should be an integral part of the policies and agreements that
promote sustainable development. It addresses the links between
environmental quality and human equality and between sustainability and
environmental justice.
Greeniology - how to live well, be green and make a difference
Touted as the
definitive ‘how to help the environment’ guide, this publication shows
ordinary people how they can help the environment in their day to day
lives.
The world comes to one country
(Heinrich Böll
Foundation 2003) Authored by Victor Munnik and Jessica Wilson, this
publication attempts to find out what happened at the WSSD from a civil
society perspective. The book analyses the relationship between South
African civil society and the South African government, offering a glimpse
of the nature of civil society in the South, and the role it could play in
global governance.
BIODIVERSITY
AND WILDLIFE
Amazonlink.org looks at biopiracy in the Amazon
Amazonlink.org
has announced a new resource on the ethical boundaries of registering
patents and trademarks on biological resources and traditional knowledge
of the Amazon Rainforest. A collection of short case studies highlights
how biopiracy impedes the development of sustainable trade in Amazon
forest products.
GRAIN releases new resource on biodiversity rights legislation
Genetic
Resources Action International (GRAIN) has created a section on
biodiversity rights legislation. The material is organized by region and
by type of law. It includes information on access and benefit sharing,
biodiversity laws, traditional
knowledge,
indigenous and farmers’ rights, and patent legislation.
IUCN regional office for europe website
IUCN-The World
Conservation Union Regional Office for Europe (ROfE) has a new website
containing useful, up-to-date information on work, publications, and
partnerships of the IUCN European Programme.
World agriculture: towards 2015-2030 – an FAO perspective
(Earthscan
2003) The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has
published its latest global assessment of the long-term outlook for food
and agriculture. It updates the last FAO assessment made in 1995. The
projections, covering 140 countries and 32 crop and livestock commodities,
analyze supply and demand for the major agricultural commodities and
sectors, including fisheries and forestry. |
CLIMATE
CHANGE
Forests and global climate change: potential impacts on us forest
resources
(Pew Center on
Global Climate Change, 2003) Written by H. Shugart, R. Sedjo., and B.
Sohngen, this report explores the potential effects of climate change on
both natural and managed forest ecosystems.
Implementing the Kyoto Protocol without the United States: the strategic
role of energy tax adjustments at the border
(The Global
Governance Project, 2003) Written by Frank Biermann and Rainer Brohm, this
working paper analyzes possible options for the European Union to react to
the non-participation of the US in the Kyoto Protocol.
The investment climate for climate investment – joint implementation in
transition countries
(European Bank
for Reconstruction and Development, 2003) Written by Samuel Fankhauser and
Lucia Lavric, this working paper addresses the capacity of transition
countries to process JI projects, as well as the business environment the
countries offer to foreign investors, for example, in terms of their
political and economic stability and the functioning of their legal and
regulatory systems.
TIEMPO – global warming and the third world
Issue 46 of
Tiempo – Global Warming and the Third World is now online featuring news
and comment on the climate negotiations, reports from the WSSD, and articles on carbon sinks, erosion and reef
islands.
Sky is not the limit – the emerging market in greenhouse gases
(Transnational
Institute, January 2003) This briefing report warns that the emerging
emissions market will result in inequitable rights to the atmosphere
through prioritization of a technocratic and corporate agenda over human
rights, public participation, community survival and ecological integrity.
WATER
Clean water, safe sanitation: an agenda for the kyoto world water forum
and beyond
(Institute for
Public Policy Research, 2003) Edited by David Mepham, this report
integrates essays by several water and sanitation experts with the aim of
addressing key issues and problems for the Kyoto 3rd World Water Forum,
held from 16-23 March 2003, and beyond.
Water and sanitation in the world’s cities: local action for global goals
(UN-Habitat,
March 2003) This publication addresses the lack of access to safe water in
cities across the world, particularly in light of problems aggravated by
growing urban populations.
Water and the least developed countries
(IIED, February 2003) Authored by Saleemul Huq, Hannah Reid and Laurel
Murray, this report was prepared for the UN Office of the High
Representative for the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS. It focuses on LDCs and the
way in which water quantity, quality, use, and management is affecting
these poorest countries.
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TRADE AND
INVESTMENT
UNCTAD publishes online civil society outreach newsletter
UNCTAD's Civil
Society Outreach (CSO) newsletter aims to inform civil society actors of
burgeoning topics and upcoming events relating to trade and development.
This electronic resource is also a means of encouraging more active
involvement of civil society in UNCTAD's objectives.
Doha round briefing series
(IISD and ICTSD,
2003) Published by IISD in collaboration with the International Centre for
Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD), this 13-part series offers a
progress report on each of the separate multilateral trade negotiation
groups under the Doha Round.
Sustainable commodity initiative - SCI
(IISD and
UNCTAD, 2003) IISD, in collaboration with the UN Conference on
Trade and Development, launched this programme in December 2002.
Recognizing the fundamental link between
commodities and sustainable development, the main objective of the SCI is
to improve the sustainability of commodities production and trade by
developing global, multi-stakeholder strategies on a sector-by-sector
basis, beginning with coffee.
ISO strategic advisory group on corporate social responsibility
IISD has been
invited to serve as a member of the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) Strategic Advisory Group on Corporate Social
Responsibility, which will advise the ISO Council on the potential
development and delivery of CSR standards.
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
UN demographic yearbook 2000
The United
Nations has recently launched its Demographic Yearbook, a source of
national population and vital statistics for over 233 countries or areas
in the world. The book provides statistics on population size and
composition, fertility, mortality, infant and fetal mortality, marriages
and divorces.
CHEMICALS MANAGEMENT
Northern lights against POPs: combating toxic threats in the arctic
(McGill-Queen’s
University Press, February 2003) Edited
by David Downie and Terry Fenge, this book reflects the concerns of
scientists, international negotiators and circumpolar Inuit and other
Arctic Indigenous peoples about persistent organic pollutants-related
health and environmental issues. Published for the Inuit Circumpolar
Conference, the book features contributors such as David Anderson,
Canada’s Minister of the Environment, John Buccini, Chair of the Global
POPs Negotiations, Sheila Watt-Cloutier, President of the Inuit
Circumpolar Conference-Canada, and Klaus Töpfer, UNEP Executive Director.
The authors show how research on POPs in the Arctic influenced
international negotiations and analyze the potential for the convention to
be effective. |