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Editor's Note

The opening of the 2007 UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) session was preceded by numerous meetings and reports related to its agenda topics, providing testament to the timeliness of its agenda – energy for sustainable development, industrial development, air pollution and the atmosphere, and climate change. … article continues

Lynn Wagner, Ph.D.

Editor, Linkages Update and MEA Bulletin


Coming and Goings
APPOINTMENTS
UN Secretary-General appoints climate envoys
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VACANCIES
CBD Advertises Professional Positions
GEF Seeks Climate Change Specialist
FAO Seeks Forest Programme Facilitator
Click here for a full listing of job postings

New Reports and Resources

Empowering People: A Governance Analysis of Electricity

European Union Policy Brief on Bioenergy
Climate Science 2006: Major New Discoveries
Analysing Our Energy Future: Some Pointers for Policy-Makers 
Industrial Development for the 21st Century: Sustainable Development Perspectives
A Civil Society Response to the Report of the UN High-Level Panel on System-Wide Coherence
Global Environmental Governance: Perspectives on the Current Debate
Making the Most of the Ban Years
UN-Civil Society Engagement: Year in Review 2006
Global Monitoring Report 2007: MDGs Confronting the Challenges of Gender Equality and Fragile States
UN Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific for 2007: Surging Ahead in Uncertain Times
African Employment Trends 2007
New Evidence on the Urbanization of Global Poverty
People, Forests and Trees in West and Central Asia: Outlook for 2020
Merbau's Last Stand: How Industrial Logging is Driving the Destruction of the Paradise Forests of Asia Pacific
Click here for more New Publications and Resources

MEA Bulletin

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African Regional Coverage

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Latest News - Thursday, 3 May 2007
UNFF7 ADOPTS INSTRUMENT ON FORESTS AND MULTI-YEAR PROGRAMME OF WORK

UN headquarters, New York, 28 May—The seventh session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF7), which convened from 16-27 April 2007, at UN headquarters in New York, US, negotiated a non-legally binding instrument (NLBI) for sustainable forest management (SFM) for all types of forests and a Multi-Year Programme of Work (MYPOW) for the period 2007-2015. The final day of negotiations extended into the night, with both documents adopted by 6:00 am on Saturday, 28 April. Delegates also adopted the draft resolution to which the NLBI will be annexed, for consideration by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). During the meeting, delegates participated in two Multi-Stakeholder Dialogues, a panel discussion with member organizations of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and the launching of preparations for the International Year of Forests 2011. More.

Photo: UNFF7 Chair Hans Hoogeveen (the Netherlands) declared the meeting closed at 6:30 am, 28 April 2007.

EUROPEANS CONSULT ON AN INTERNATIONAL MECHANISM OF SCIENTIFIC EXPERTISE ON BIODIVERSITY

Geneva, 29 April—The European Regional Consultation of the Consultative Process Towards an International Mechanism of Scientific Expertise on Biodiversity (IMoSEB) took place from 26-28 April 2007, in Geneva, Switzerland. Participants reached general consensus on a list of “needs” for an IMoSEB, an option for an IMoSEB to meet these needs, as well as on the goals and guiding principles for effective communication of scientific information on biodiversity. More.

Photo: Participants at the European Regional Consultation of the Consultative Process Towards an IMoSEB. 
INFORMAL CONSULTATIONS ON FISH STOCKS AGREEMENT DISCUSSES RESUMPTION OF REVIEW CONFERENCE

UN headquarters, New York, 25 April—The sixth round of Informal Consultations of States Parties to the Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks (UNFSA or the Agreement) convened from 23-24 April 2007, at UN headquarters in New York. Participants considered implementation of the Agreement, progress in the implementation of the outcomes of the Review Conference of the Agreement, and preparatory steps for the resumption of the Review Conference. A side event on recommended criteria for reviewing the performance of Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) made progress towards drafting a list of suggested criteria for RFMO review. More.

Photo: Participants during the side event on criteria for reviewing the performance of RFMOs. 
 
Other News
Sustainable Development
CSD negotiating policy options for energy, climate, atmosphere and industry
Biofuels top agenda at meetings in South America and Rome
Asian mayors discuss environmentally sustainable transport
Germany uses dual presidencies to promote discussion of energy efficiency
Biofuel in the news
More Sustainable Development News

Biodiversity and Wildlife
European Commission calls for support for biotechnology applications
Global Crop Diversity Trust secures funds to safeguard critical food crops
More Biodiversity News

Trade, Finance and Investment
African Development Bank announces new science and technology strategy
Private partnership to save major rivers
More Trade News
Climate and Atmosphere
IPCC Working Group III underway in Bangkok
Climate change consultations held in Africa
Norway and Canada set emissions targets
Ozone Secretariat, Multilateral Fund and US EPA release reports
Kyoto treaty generates some perverse incentives
More Climate News

Forests, Desertification and Land Issues
Indigenous lands and protected areas under threat in Brazilian Amazon – WWF-Brazil
US trade panel investigates illegal logging complaints
More Forests News

Human Development
UN-HABITAT Governing Council backs women’s land and property rights while youth dialogue at “MDG-Town”
Committee on Protection of Rights of Migrant Workers concludes sixth session
More Development News
Chemicals Management
POPs COP-3 in progress
FAO and WHO sign MOU on the sound management of pesticides
More Chemicals News

Intergovernmental Organizations
EU presents system to monitor global environmental change
UN Public Information to focus on climate change and MDGs
EU proposes way forward on international environmental governance
More IGO News

Water, Wetlands, Oceans
Third ICRI General Meeting discusses International Year of the Reef 2008
IUCN Marine Protected Area Summit urges rapid action to counter threats to the oceans
IMO’s sub-committee reviews regulation on reducing air pollution from ships
European expert workshop charts the way forward for marine conservation
FAO to establish guidelines to certify farmed fish
More Water News

Key meetings in the next two weeks

Third Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants: 30 April-4 May 2007, Dakar, Senegal

Ninth Session of IPCC Working Group III and 26th Session of IPCC: 30 April-4 May 2007, Bangkok, Thailand
Fifteenth Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development: 30 April-11 May 2007, New York, US
30th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting: 30 April-11 May 2007, New Delhi, India
26th sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies and Kyoto Protocol Ad Hoc Working Group: 7-18 May 2007, Bonn, Germany
Workshop to Reduce Mercury Use and Release in Products for the Asia Pacific: 17-19 May 2007, Bangkok, Thailand
First Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea: 23-25 May 2007, Baku, Azerbaijan

IISD Reporting Services will be reporting from:



 
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