Archives
8th Meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group to Enhance the Functioning of the Multilateral System of Access and Benefit-sharing (OWG-EFMLS-8) of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA)
The eighth meeting of the Working Group did not achieve any concrete outcomes in relation to specific clauses in the SMTA. In addition, questions related to digital sequence information (DSI) and a possible expansion of the MLS remain deeply divisive. However, several participants welcomed the constructive spirit and open discussion that provided opportunities for mutual learning and clear procedural steps allowing for informed deliberations at its next meeting in June 2019.
Arctic Biodiversity Congress 2018
The Congress convened for the first time in 2014 to address the outcomes of the ABA, a region-wide assessment of the status and trends in Arctic biodiversity conducted by CAFF in 2013
8th Session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention MOP8) serviced by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
Throughout the meeting, many speakers highlighted the importance of further expanding the Water Convention and making its tools globally available to enable cooperation and effective water management. MOP8 addressed many substantive issues, including reporting under the Convention and SDG indicator 6.5.2 (proportion of transboundary basin area with an operational arrangement for water cooperation).
Africa-Arab Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)
Two declarations were adopted on Saturday, 13 October: the Fourth Arab Conference on DRR Tunis Declaration on DRR; and the Tunis Declaration on Accelerating the Implementation of the Sendai Framework and the Africa Regional Strategy for DRR. The Platform provided an opportunity for governments and stakeholders to assess progress and reaffirm commitments towards the implementation of the Sendai Framework for DRR 2015-2030 in the two regions.
International Expert Workshop on Blue Natural Capital
The two-day conference explored how to mainstream BNC in economic science, corporate accounting, ecosystem management, and policy and international processes; and highlighted case studies on valuing BNC and its use in conservation strategies, revenue models and business cases for a sustainable ocean economy.
48th Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-48)
On Saturday, 6 October, the Panel adopted the Summary for Policymakers (SPM) of the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C (SR15) and approved the Technical Summary and the underlying assessment report. Throughout the week and through the last night, the first Joint Session of Working Groups (WGs) I, II and III discussed the SPM line-by-line in order to reach agreement.
70th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
The seventieth meeting of the Standing Committee (SC70) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) convened from 1-5 October 2018 in Sochi, Russian Federation. Over 700 participants from national governments, intergovernmental organizations, and non-governmental organizations attended the meeting
14th Meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC-14) to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
POPRC-14 considered the draft risk profile on perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), its salts, and related compounds; a recommendation to the Conference of the Parties (COP) on pentadecafluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts, and related compounds; and the process for the evaluation of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), its salts, and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride (PFOSF)
14th Meeting of the Chemical Review Committee (CRC-14) of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade
CRC-14 considered the draft decision guidance documents (DGDs) for acetochlor, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and phorate, agreeing to recommend listing these chemicals in Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention (Chemicals subject to the PIC procedure). The Committee also discussed the updated version of the Handbook of Working Procedures and Policy Guidance for the Chemical Review Committee (CRC Handbook).