LINKAGES UPDATE - a fortnightly e-update of new additions to IISD’s Linkages website  - 4 April 2003

RECENT COVERAGE BY IISD REPORTING SERVICES

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.
 

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.
 

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.

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.

RECENT MEETINGS

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

MEDIA REPORTS

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.
 

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.