African Union

The following special event was covered by ENBOTS on Wednesday, 7 June 2017: Our Oceans, Our Islands, Our Future: Partnering for implementation of SDG14 High Level Reception The following side events were covered by ENBOTS on Wednesday, 7 June 2017: Launch of the Blue Action Fund Second Annual Global Multi-stakeholder SIDS Partnership Dialogue Joining Hands to Help Achieve SDGs 6 and 14 – a Win-Win for Freshwater and Oceans Co-Designing Game-Changing Ocean Solutions for Sustainable Development Solutions to Combat Marine Litter IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin on the Side (ENBOTS) Meeting Coverage, is providing daily web coverage of selected side events at the Ocean Conference. Photos by IISD/ENBOTS | Francis DejonFor photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Launch of the Blue Action Fund Presented by the Blue Action Fund, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development - BMZ, Government Offices of Sweden, and the KfW Development Bank Opening the event, Harald Braun, Permanent Representative of Germany to the UN, saluted the launch of the Blue Action Fund by the Government of Germany and the German national bank (KfW Development Bank). Anote Tong, former president of Kiribati, announced that Kiribati closed 200,000 km2 to fishing activities in 2015 and said the Blue Action Fund is essential to filling the financing gap in safeguarding marine biodiversity. Tania Rödiger-Vorwerk, BMZ, said the Blue Action Fund will step up action for the implementation of SDG 14, with an initial fund of €24 million. She explained that the Initiative will support national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in their efforts to conserve oceans and coastlines, by promoting: the safeguarding of marine biodiversity, through creating new protected areas and improving the management of existing ones; and the sustainable use of marine biodiversity in fisheries, aquaculture and tourism. Isabella Lövin, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate, and Deputy Prime Minister, Sweden., noted that by 2020, 60% of the world’s population will live in coastal areas. She said that by forming a network of marine protected areas (MPAs), the Blue Action Fund will enable the protection of migratory species. Lövin further stressed the need for working together with local communities, and announced that Sweden will contribute US$ 5.4 million to the Blue Action Fund. Stephan Opitz, KfW Development Bank, explained that the Blue Action Fund selection process for NGOs was designed to be lean and competitive. He said the Initiative will fund projects that: have an integrated approach, not only setting MPAs but also involving communities in the sustainable management of marine biodiversity; have a regional focus; and be scalable and transformative. Opitz added that projects will initially be funded with €1-3 million and NGOs are expected to contribute 25% of the necessary funding for their realization. In a panel discussion moderated by Carl Gustaf Lundin, IUCN, John Tanzer, WWF International, stressed the importance of regional networks. Greg Stone, Conservation International, spoke about the importance of setting long-term principles for MPAs. Gerald Miles, RARE, stressed the need to embed these sustainable use principles in social norms and ensure local communities’ buy in. Providing closing remarks, Cristián Samper, President, Wildlife Conservation Society, stressed the need for sustained investment to ensure that the partnerships created between governments, NGOs and local communities will have the desired results. Isabella Lövin, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate, and Deputy Prime Minister, Sweden., announced that Sweden will contribute US$ 5.4 million to the Blue Action Fund. Cristián Samper, President of Wildlife Conservation Society, stressed the need for sustained long-term investment. Anote Tong, former president of Kiribati, said the Blue Action Fund is essential to filling the financing gap in safeguarding marine biodiversity. Tania Rödiger-Vorwerk, BMZ, said the Blue Action Fund will step up action for the implementation of the SDG 14 with an initial fund of €24 million. Panel (L-R): Gerald Miles, RARE; Greg Stone, Conservation International; John Tanzer, WWF International; Anote Tong, former president of Kiribati; and Tania Rödiger-Vorwerk, BMZ. Contacts: PERSON_NAME (Moderator Coordinator) | EMAIL_ADDRESS PERSON_NAME (Moderator Coordinator) | EMAIL_ADDRESS PERSON_NAME (Moderator Coordinator) | EMAIL_ADDRESS More Information: www.blueactionfund.org Second Annual Global Multi-stakeholder SIDS Partnership Dialogue Presented by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and UN-OHRLLS, in consultation with the Steering Committee on Partnerships for SIDS, co-chaired by the Governments of the Maldives and Italy Sebastiano Cardi, Permanent Representative of Italy to the UN, opened the event, saying this second SIDS Partnership Dialogue aims to galvanize voluntary commitments for the implementation of SDG 14 among the SIDS partnership community. In his keynote address, Peter Thomson, President of the UN General Assembly, stressed the relevance of welcoming the SIDS Dialogue at the Ocean Conference, underscoring that partnerships for SIDS are strongly Ocean-related. He stated that SDG 14 was created by SIDS, overcoming strong opposition. Mohamed Shainee, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, Maldives, highlighted that the 2014 Samoa Pathway, the blueprint for achieving sustainable development in SIDS, requires more partnerships. Silvia Velo, Italy, stressed her country’s strong partnership with SIDS and the durable and transparent relationships between equal partners, currently in place in the Samoa Pathway. Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General, DESA, remarked that the SIDS Partnership Framework is open to all member states, UN agencies and stakeholders, and stressed that dialogue five of the Ocean Conference targets SIDS specifically. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, emphasized OHRLLS actions on: developing public-private partnerships for SIDS; and strategizing on how the UN system can best coordinate on SIDS issues. A dialogue followed on the theme “Partnering with SIDS and Oceans,” moderated by Ahmed Sareer, Permanent Representative of Maldives to the UN. Henry Puna, Prime Minister, Cook Islands, announced that his country will establish a two million km2 marine park and a new 300, 000 km2 marine reserve where no commercial activity is allowed. He stressed the need to innovate for financing the costs of such actions and ensure their success. Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, Minister for International Development and Pacific, Australia, highlighted the importance of defining clear Ocean jurisdiction and stressed his country’s support to Pacific SIDS in this matter under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). She announced a AUS $2 million to the SIDS Partnership Framework for the next two years. Karen Ellemann, Minister for Equal Opportunities and Nordic Cooperation, Denmark, shared examples of her country’s support to SIDS, including: the “Mangroves for the Future” project; a climate change adaptation project; and support to the Green Climate Fund. Tone Skogen, State Secretary, Norway, highlighted her country’s actions for the implementation of the FAO Port State Measures Agreement. Ngedikes Olai Uludong, Permanent Representative of Palau to the UN, spoke about the creation of a 500, 000 km2 marine sanctuary, accessible only to small fisheries. Rebecca Loustau Lalanne, Seychelles, stressed the relevance of the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) and proposed Seychelles as host for its secretariat. Cristelle Pratt, Deputy-Secretary-General, Pacific Islands Forum, spoke on a review of the 300 partnerships for SIDS, saying 74 engage Pacific SIDS but 44 do not have national oversight. She called for the inclusion of partnerships in national plans. Grete Faremo, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), highlighted a water resources management programme involving six SIDS of the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Nik Sekhran, UNDP, said that UNDP committed to 77 SIDS partnerships, of which 12 are Ocean-related. Sebastiano Cardi, Permanent Representative of Italy to the UN, said the SIDS Partnership Dialogue aims to galvanize voluntary commitments for the implementation of SDG 14. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS), highlighted several actions of her Office Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, Minister for International Development and Pacific, Australia, announced new financial commitments to SIDS Henry Puna, Prime Minister, Cook Islands, stressed the need to create innovative mechanisms to finance conservation actions in SIDS. Panel (L-R): Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS); Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General, DESA; Sebastiano Cardi, Permanent Representative of Italy to the UN; and Ahmed Sareer, Permanent Representative of Maldives to the UN. Contacts: Ola Göransson (Sustainable Development Officer & Partnerships Coordinator, Division for Sustainable Development, UN DESA) | goranssono@un.org Shifaana Thowfeequ (Programme Management Officer, UN-OHRLLS) | thowfeequ@un.org More Information: www.sids2014.org/partnership Joining Hands to Help Achieve SDGs 6 and 14 – a Win-Win for Freshwater and Oceans Presented by UN-Water, UN-Oceans and the Action Platform on Source-to-Sea Management (S2S Platform) Federica Pietracci, Interim Secretary, UN-Water, chaired the event. Andrew Hudson, UNDP, reviewed close linkages between SDGs 6 and 14, concluding that their ambitious targets will require transformational change. Habib El-Habr, UNEP, provided an overview of how the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA) had been addressing land and ocean connections since 1995, highlighting the work of the Global Partnership on Marine Litter, Global Partnership on Nutrient Management and Global Wastewater Initiative. Angela Cordeiro Ortigara, UN World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) and UNESCO, noted that water demand is increasing annually, implying an increase in untreated wastewater production carried to the sea. She highlighted UN-Water work in improving monitoring and the recent UN-Water synthesis report on SDG 6 linkages to other SDGs. A panel discussion was moderated by Torkil Clausen, Chair, S2S Platform. Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, UN Office of Legal Affairs, discussed the work of UN-Oceans. She called for being mindful of, inter alia : the need for vertical integration linking national, regional and global actions; and linkages between SDGs 6 and 14 and climate change. Martha Rojas-Urrego, Secretary-General, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, suggested that wetlands are a good lens for looking at the linkages between SDGs 6 and 14, and noted that the Wetlands Outlook due in 2018 will report on both inland and coastal wetlands. Jack Moss, Executive Director, Aquafed, said if all wastewater was properly treated, a large portion of pollution would never reach the sea. He noted the difficulty of addressing diffuse pollution sources such as agricultural runoff. Christine Valentin, CEO, World Ocean Council (WOC), said WOC is in the process of identifying the SDGs that impact businesses associated with oceans. She urged translating the SDGs into concrete targets the business community can understand and meet. Maria van Berlekom, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), spoke about various challenges, including siloed thinking and linking national and regional actions. Birgitta Liss Lymer, UNDP-Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) Water Governance Facility and S2S Platform, underscored the need to identify incentives to the investments needed to address marine pollution’s root causes. In her capacity as chair of the UN in-house dialogue on water, Katalin Annamária Bogyay, Permanent Representative of Hungary to the UN, invited more member states, researchers and other stakeholders to join the dialogue. Martha Rojas-Urrego, Secretary-General, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, suggested wetlands are a useful lens for dealing with the linkages between SDGs 6 and 14. Andrew Hudson, UNDP, provided an overview of the linkages between SDGs 6 and 14. Ambassador Katalin Annamária Bogyay, Permanent Representative of Hungary to the UN, urged more parties to join the UN in-house dialogue on water. Angela Cordeiro Ortigara, UNESCO, discussed water quality monitoring and the 2017 Water Development Report, “Wastewater, The Untapped Resource.” Panel (L-R): Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, UN Office of Legal Affairs; Birgitta Liss Lymer, UNDP-Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) Water Governance Facility; Maria van Berlekom, SIDA; Martha Rojas-Urrego, Secretary-General, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands; Habib El-Habr, UNEP; Angela Cordeir Ortigarao, UNESCO; Andrew Hudson, UNDP; Federica Pietracci, Interim Secretary, UN-Water; and Torkil Clausen, Chair, S2S Platform. Contacts: Birgitta Liss Lymer (Stockholm International Water Institute) | birgitta.liss.lymer@siwi.org More Information: www.unwater.org www.unoceans.org www.siwi.org/what-we-do/source-to-sea/ Co-Designing Game-Changing Ocean Solutions for Sustainable Development Presented by Conservation International Moderator Aulani Wilhelm, Conservation International (CI), opened the event, welcoming participants to an “interactive session.” Highlighting that approximately 50% of matter taken from the Ocean is said to be wasted, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, former President, Iceland, spoke on technical innovation from Iceland that has shown the enormous economic opportunities to reuse and enhance the commercial value of what comes from the Ocean. He described examples from his country, including Kerecis, a company that has developed a bandage made of fish skin that can heal wounds, which has recently been taken up by the US military. Nishan Degnarain, World Bank, spoke on experiences from Mauritius, which has discovered large-scale economic opportunities around the Ocean since establishing a Ministry of Ocean Economy. He described innovative solutions that had been found to address issues such as illegal fishing, and spoke on a vision to develop an open access system to harness the aspiration of small islanders to create high-tech, sustainable fisheries. Evan Rapoport, X - The Moonshot Factory, explained his company’s innovative approach to finding creative and radical solutions for problems. He explained the “moonshot culture,” which recognizes that real solutions are more likely to come from a group of people that embrace the process of finding innovations. He further explained that bonuses are awarded to employees when they discontinue a project as a recognition that running with a bad idea is an unhelpful approach, noting that 97% of ideas they float do not make it to the second phase of the project development process. For the remainder of the session, participants brainstormed in small groups on radical project ideas for sustainable development issues, such as: solving hunger for 800 million people using a massive open online course; or solving ocean pollution of the food system using desalination. Rapoport stressed that the focus should be on the process of idea generation itself, rather than the actual output. Emerging “radical” ideas included: an autonomous car that would only drive to restaurants that used sustainably sourced food; and underwater internet that would enable young people to share underwater photos on social media to raise awareness on ocean conservation issues. In the ensuing discussion, several participants said they had found the process a useful and “inspirational” eye-opener, and others suggested the need to harness the ideas coming from the Ocean Conference through developing a space where the knowledge is integrated to lead to a “real solutions” database. Evan Rapoport, X - The Moonshot Factory, said his organization looked for people that fell in love with problems rather than their solutions. Aulani Wilhelm, CI, said her organization works to find global and local solutions to Ocean problems. Nishan Degnarain, World Bank, spoke on experiences from Mauritius. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, former President, Iceland, said his country’s recovery from the economic crisis was largely due to the commercial strength of the transformation of its fishing sector. (L-R): Evan Rapoport, X - The Moonshot Factory; Aulani Wilhelm, CI; and Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, former President, Iceland. Contacts: Aulani Wilhelm (Moderator) | awilhelm@conservation.org More Information: www.conservation.org/ocean http://mymoonshot.com/ Solutions to Combat Marine Litter Presented by the Governments of Germany and Norway This event, moderated by Lilian Busse, German Environment Agency, began with opening remarks from Jürgen Schulz, Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN. Explaining that a transition from theory to practice in terms of marine litter reduction may be possible, Schulz said the success of this transition would be “the benchmark on which we will be judged by future generations.” Gunther Adler, State Secretary for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany, underlined the last two years as crucial for sustainable development, highlighting the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and G20 Action Plan to combat marine litter. He also stressed the work done regionally through the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR) and the HELCOM on that matter. Tone Skogen, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway, spoke about the impacts of plastic pollution on the Barents Sea and on the Artic sea ice. She announced the adoption of a white paper on the place of the oceans in Norwegian foreign and development policy and an associated programme on combating marine litter and microplastics Steven Russell, American Chemistry Council, said marine litter poses an important issue for plastic manufacturers and who want to be part of the solution. He said the first thing to do was to invest in waste infrastructure management in countries where plastic use is currently exploding. He also mentioned: 65 commitments by trade associations to undertake action in their country; and a platform of plastic industry’s CEOs, committing to create common principles for recycling and waste management. Afroz Shah, UN Environment’s Champion of the Earth 2016, spoke about an event in Mumbai, which led to the cleaning of a beach with the help of hundreds of volunteers. He presented a short film, “A Date with the Ocean,” and underlined that such actions can lead to a change of mindset and are complementary to and as effective as new regulation. Erik Solheim, Executive Director, UNEP, stressed that every environmental problem has a solution and spoke of examples of success, including waste management in Rwanda and the work of the high-tech company Dell in reducing its packaging. Helge Wendenburg, Ministry for the Environment, Germany, explained his country’s efforts to convince G20 countries to adopt the Action Plan to combat marine litter and finding concrete ways to make it effective. In the ensuing discussion, participants discussed: how to replicate Germany’s and Norway’s efficient waste management policies; ways to channel financial organizations’ funds to key levels that bring broader industrial and compartmental changes; and the necessity to act every day to reduce plastic litter. Jürgen Schulz, Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN, discussed ways to transition from theory to practice in the management of marine litter. Gunther Adler, State Secretary for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany, highlighted the adoption by G20 countries of an Action Plan to combat marine litter. Afroz Shah, UNEP’s Champion of the Earth 2016, presented his work in engaging people to clean Mumbai’s beaches from litter. Lilian Busse, German Environment Agency, moderated the session. Panel (L-R): Afroz Shah, lawyer, UNEP’s Champion of the Earth 2016; Steven Russell, American Chemistry Council; Helge Wendenburg, Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany; Lilian Busse, Germany Environment Agency; and Erik Solheim, Executive Director, UNEP. Contacts: Jens-Michael Bopp (Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN) | jens-michael.bopp@diplo.de More Information: www.new-york-un.diplo.de

WCEF2017 opened today in Helsinki, Finland, with a live performance of music and movement celebrating the country’s culture on this 100th anniversary of Finland’s independence. Over 1,500 people were in attendance at the Finlandia Hall venue and thousands more were expected to follow this highly interactive event on a livestream. At a “Grand Opening” session, an introductory panel discussion was held on aligning the circular economy with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Panelists included: Mikko Kosonen, Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra; Kimmo Tiilikainen, Minister for Housing, Energy and the Environment, Finland; Matti Vanhanen, Member of Finnish Parliament; and Jan Vapaavuori, European Investment Bank and Mayor-elect of Helsinki. Participants heard a welcoming address by Kosonen, as well as two keynote addresses. Janez Potočnik, UN Environment’s International Resources Panel, gave an overview of global use of natural resources, and Achim Steiner, Oxford Martin School, and incoming director of the UN Development Programme, addressed the circular economy as a means to achieve the SDGs and reduce poverty. A panel discussion on the Forum’s core themes was also convened. Four parallel sessions were held in the afternoon using innovative formats to engage, inform and invite direct participation. The first addressed drivers of economic transition in the Nordics and beyond, in the form of a “game show” or back-casting exercise. Jocelyn Blériot, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, delivered a keynote address. The second parallel session featured 17 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) active in the area of circular economy. They each presented their business case in a short pitch, showing how their work supports implementation of the SDGs. The SME representatives then engaged in “interactive table talks” with participants. The third parallel session addressed innovation challenges for the circular economy, highlighting how partnerships, collaboration and innovation challenges can drive circular innovation and systems transformation. This session culminated with the announcement of the LAUNCH Innovation Challenge 2017, which seeks circular economy innovations and solutions for design and manufacturing from around the world. The final parallel session addressed collective impact for sustainable consumption and a circular economy. Participants discussed ways in which businesses, governments and citizens can interact to generate “collective impact” for sustainable consumption globally. This session featured a keynote address by Kitty van der Heijden, World Resources Institute. Participants then reconvened in plenary for a session on circular cities. Presentations were delivered by Dimitri Zenghelis, London School of Economics, and Hans Bruyninckx, European Environment Agency. Representatives from several cities implementing circular economy strategies shared success stories: Amsterdam (Netherlands), Peterborough (UK), Helsinki (Finland), Vancouver (Canada), New York (US), and Abuja (Nigeria). In the evening, participants were entertained at an evening reception hosted by the City of Helsinki. Sitra Director Mari Pantser and Xaver Edelmann, President of the World Resources Forum, shared their impressions of the first day of WCEF2017. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, provided daily web highlights from WCEF 2017. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a summary report of WCEF 2017, which is available in HTML and PDF. (L-R) Matti Vanhanen, Member of Finnish Parliament; Kimmo Tiilikainen, Minister for Housing, Energy and the Environment, Finland; and Mikko Kosonen, Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, during the opening panel Janez Potočnik, UN Environment’s International Resources Panel Achim Steiner, Oxford Martin School, and incoming director of the UN Development Programme May Al-Karooni, Globechain (United Kingdom), during the SME pitch session Esther Agricola, City of Amsterdam, and Katie Thomas, Share Peterborough, during the session on circular cities WCEF2017 participants networking around the venue Photos courtesy of Sari Gustafsson/Sitra

The third session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD 3) convened for its final day in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 19 May 2017. Delegates gathered in the morning to take part in parallel sessions on the six sub-themes of the Forum: eradicating all forms of poverty in Africa; ending hunger and achieving food security in Africa; ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all; promoting gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls; building resilient infrastructure and promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization and innovation; and, conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development. Report backs on the parallel sessions began in the morning and continued into the afternoon, including providing initial comments on the draft key messages. The results of these discussions fed into the key messages of ARFSD 3. Key messages discussed by delegates included that: economic growth is necessary, but insufficient, to eradicate poverty; hunger should be considered as a national and regional security issue; governments should ensure fair and mandatory public financing to build universal and equitable health coverage; gender issues should be reflected in national integrated plans for Agenda 2030 and the African Union Commission’s (AUC) Agenda 2063; green industrialization provides an opportunity for Africa to leapfrog and be competitive in global value chains; and, that sustainable development and poverty alleviation in Africa will depend on sustainable and optimal management of natural capital, including oceans, seas, and marine resources. Following an adjournment to incorporate the comments and recommendations made and allow time for national consultations, delegations reconvened in the early evening to consider a revised draft. Following discussion, Member States were asked to submit their comments and reservations on the document by Wednesday, 24 May 2017. Delegates adopted the key messages, with this proviso. ARFSD 3 was gavelled to a close at 8:55 pm. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage and a summary report from this meeting. The summary is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Parallel panel session on conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development Parallel panel session on ending hunger and achieving food security in Africa Parallel panel session on healthy lives and promoting well-being for all L-R: Boutobba Afef, Algeria; Rosalie Matondo, Minister of Forest Economy, Sustainable Development and Environment, Republic of Congo; Marie-Josée Bonne, Seychelles; Nassim Oulmane, UNECA; 2017 Bureau Chair Meatchi Tchaou Gervais, Togo; and Nyasha Chikwinya, Minister of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development, Zimbabwe L-R: Nassim Oulmane, UNECA; and 2017 Bureau Chair Meatchi Tchaou Gervais, Togo Malefu Khanyapa, Lesotho Dagnachew Wakene, THISAbility Consulting Marie-Josée Bonne, Seychelles Chantal Umuhoza, SPECTRA, Rwanda Otiko Afisah Djaba, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ghana Noronirina Rakotomanana, Madagascar Hussein Abaza, Egypt Mohamed Diaby, Guinea Raymond Ruyoka, Reproductive Health Uganda Participants drafting the key messages of ARFSD 3 Ingrid Coetzee, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, South Africa Janice Cox, World Animal Net Emem Omokaro, The Dave Omokaro Foundation Najla Awad Hassan, Sudan Saleh Sahboun, League of Arab States Innocent Maloba, WWF Jean Ignace Tendelet, Republic of Congo Fatima Denton, UNECA Nassim Oulmane, UNECA Chair Meatchi Tchaou Gervais, Togo, gavelled the meeting to a close at 8:55 pm Side Event: ‘Leave No One Behind in the African Context: How can Africa ensure that no one is left behind in the implementation, follow up and review of Agenda 2030 and AUC Agenda 2063’ ‘Leave No One Behind’ information video L-R: Stephen Chacha, Executive Director, Africa Philanthropic Foundation; Ife Falegan, Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Nigeria; Lucia Omoyemen, Centre for Human Rights and Climate Change, Nigeria; Florence Syevuo, Kenya SDG Forum; Salina Sanou, Africa Civil Society Working Group; Irenius Ruyobya, Director of Statistical Operations, National Bureau of Statistics, Tanzania; Graciano Nyanguse, Director of Policy Coordination and Planning, Zimbabwe; Nomaqhawe Gwere, NANGO, Zimbabwe; and Bartholomew Armah, UNECA

The third session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD 3) convened for its second day in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 18 May 2017, and for the first day of ARFSD 3’s plenary meetings. Delegates heard opening statements and took part in a high-level panel on the challenges and opportunities in achieving inclusive growth and prosperity. Messages emerging from this session included: the need for increased gender sensitivity; the importance of education for sustainable development; that data is essential to monitor progress in implementation; and, the role regional economic communities play in implementation of the SDGs. They also elected the Bureau for the 2017 session and adopted the agenda. In the afternoon, delegates heard updates on progress in implementation of the SDGs and the goals of African Union Commission (AUC) Agenda 2063. They also heard a presentation on the framework for monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the two Agendas prepared by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the AUC. Delegates then took part in a round table on peer learning and the exchange of experience and lessons learned in the implementation of the two Agendas. They also heard a presentation from Parfait Eloundou-Enyegue, Cornell University, US, on how a demographic perspective can inform poverty reduction strategies. Issues raised during this session included: the important role national plans and programmes play for the implementation of the SDGs and the AUC Agenda 2063; harmonized monitoring frameworks; and, government-civil society partnerships for implementation of the two Agendas. Delegates attended a reception hosted by UNECA in the evening. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage and a summary report from this meeting. The summary is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page A bird's eye view of the opening plenary of the third Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development Nehal Magdy Ahmed El Megharbel, Deputy Minister for Planning, Monitoring, and Administrative Reform, Egypt Fatima Denton, Director, Special Initiatives Division, UNECA Anthony Mothae Maruping, Commissioner for Economic Affairs, AUC Seleshi Bekele, Minister of Water, Irrigation and Electricity, Ethiopia Abdalla Hamdok, Acting Executive Secretary, UNECA L-R: Ben Paul Mungyereza, Executive Director, Uganda Bureau of Statistics; Mutuuzo Peace Regis, Minister of State for Gender, Labour and Social Development, Uganda; Amedi Camara, Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development, Mauritania; Anthony Mothae Maruping, Commissioner for Economic Affairs, AUC; Rosalie Matondo, Minister of Forest Economy, Sustainable Development and Environment, Republic of Congo; Nehal Magdy Ahmed El Megharbel, Deputy Minister for Planning, Monitoring, and Administrative Reform, Egypt; Seleshi Bekele, Minister of Water, Irrigation and Electricity, Ethiopia; Nyasha Chikwinya, Minister of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development, Zimbabwe; and María Jesús Ncara Owono Mze, Vice Minister for Education and Science, Equatorial Guinea Amedi Camara, Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development, Mauritania Nyasha Chikwinya, Minister of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development, Zimbabwe Rosalie Matondo, Minister of Forest Economy, Sustainable Development and Environment, Republic of Congo Christo Janse van Noordwyk, South Africa Margaret Oduk, UN Environment L-R: Fatima Denton, UNECA; Nassim Oulmane, Chief of Green Economy and Natural Resources Section, UNECA; and Nehal Magdy Ahmed El Megharbel, Deputy Minister for Planning, Monitoring, and Administrative Reform, Egypt Participants from the Southern Africa sub-region in a huddle to consult on their nomination to the Bureau L-R: Boutobba Afef, Algeria; Rosalie Matondo, Minister of Forest Economy, Sustainable Development and Environment, Republic of Congo; Marie-Josée Bonne, Seychelles; Nassim Oulmane, UNECA; Meatchi Tchaou Gervais, Togo; and Nyasha Chikwinya, Minister of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development, Zimbabwe Negussie Gorfe, UNECA Bartholomew Armah, UNECA Hussein Abaza, Egypt Moubarack Lo, Senegal Parfait Eloundou-Enyegue, Cornell University, US Kayode Obasa, Nigeria Belay Begashaw, Director-General, Sustainable Development Goals Center for Africa Isaac Yamaude, Kenya Alex Richard Nkosi, African Regional Organization of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa), Togo, speaking on behalf of the Major Groups and other Stakeholders 2017 Bureau Chair Meatchi Tchaou Gervais, Togo Photos from the reception hosted by UNECA

The following side events were covered by ENBOTS on Wednesday, 17 May 2017: Addressing Vulnerability in Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Countries: Adaptation, Capacity, People South-South Initiatives to Support Monitoring, Reporting and Verification, and Transparency of Action and Support Raising Ambition in Climate and Development: Adaptation Benefit Mechanism and Sustainable Development Goals Impact Quantification Supporting Loss and Damage for the Most Vulnerable: Experiences from Africa and Elsewhere Human Mobility and Climate Change: Synergies between the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and Other Global Policy Processes Contribution of Forest Landscape Restoration to Nationally Determined Contributions IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin on the Side (ENBOTS) Meeting Coverage, is providing daily web coverage of selected side events at the Bonn Climate Change Conference, May 2017. Photos by IISD/ENB | Angeles Estrada Vigil For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Addressing Vulnerability in Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Countries: Adaptation, Capacity, People Presented by the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP Group) and the African Union Commission (AUC) This side event centered on a dialogue and exchange of ideas among vulnerable ACP island states, least developed countries (LDCs), and landlocked and coastal countries. Viwanou Gnassounou, ACP Group Secretariat, moderated the event. Underscoring that “climate change is the single greatest threat to the security and livelihoods of our people,” Johnson Weru, Chair, ACP Subcommittee on Sustainable Development, highlighted close cooperation with the EU to undertake climate action and tackle other environmental problems. He noted the ACP is developing a dedicated programme to support small island developing States (SIDS) to address their unique vulnerabilities. Olushola Olayide, African Union (AU), underscored the vulnerability of the African continent. Among key initiatives the Union is engaged in, she highlighted: Climate for Development in Africa; the High-level Work Programme on Climate Change Action in Africa; the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative; the Africa Adaptation Initiative; and the initiative for the Adaptation of African Agriculture to climate change. Stressing that “the universality of the Paris Agreement is something we need to preserve and protect,” Elina Bardram, European Commission, highlighted the “special” nature of the ACP-EU partnership, highlighting the partnership’s potential to influence other global actors. She noted the EU is working through the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Partnership and the Global Climate Change Alliance to help partner governments meet their commitments. Deo Saran, Fiji, noted the incoming Presidency of the 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 23) and the 13th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 13) aims to maintain the momentum and cohesiveness from the two previous COPs, in order to continue to build the international climate change agenda. He highlighted groundwork to ensure completion of the implementation guidelines of the Paris Agreement, and preparations for the 2018 facilitative dialogue as priorities for COP 23. Kamal Djemouai, African Group of Negotiations (AGN), said there is a “vulnerability gap” in the UNFCCC process. He emphasized six key concepts that are important in this context: vulnerabilities, in their “plural form”; special circumstances; capacities and capabilities; NDCs; differentiation; and means of implementation. Stressing that “it’s not a beauty contest” about who is the most vulnerable, Amjad Abdulla, Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), underlined that unity will be critical to ensure the voices of developing countries continue to be heard going forward. He said said loss and damage action should be further strengthened, and called for COP 23 to advance discussions on how the Adaptation Fund will serve the Paris Agreement. Gebru Jember Endalew, LDC Group, said COP 23 should provide the basis for a clear roadmap on the final outcome of the Paris Agreement rulebook. He identified the 2018 facilitative dialogue as a key step to increasing ambition, and said the Group supports a political declaration at the end of 2018 to guide review of NDCs.  In the ensuing discussion, participants highlighted: COP 23 as a “COP for action”; the need for COP 23 to focus on capacity building; efforts to create “a high ambition coalition for shipping”; and the need for “all countries of the international community” to work together to defend the Paris Agreement and climate science. L-R: Amjad Abdulla, AOSIS; Deo Saran, Fiji; Elina Bardram, European Commission; Johnson Weru, Chair, ACP Subcommittee on Sustainable Development; Olushola Olayide, AUC; Kamal Djemouai, AGN; and Viwanou Gnassounou, ACP Group Secretariat Gebru Jember Endalew, LDC Group (center), highlighted the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Initiative for Sustainable Development as crucial for reducing LDCs’ vulnerability. Elina Bardram, European Commission, highlighted transparency and the 2018 facilitative dialogue as key issues to be addressed at COP 23. Viwanou Gnassounou, ACP Group Secretariat, moderated the event. Deo Saran, Fiji, stressed the need to “give confidence to the world that we are progressing at the right speed.”  Kamal Djemouai, AGN, underlined that “the more divided developing countries are, the more vulnerable they are to climate change impacts and their consequences.” Amjad Abdulla, AOSIS, stressed: “We will all only go far if we stay united.” A participant during the side event Contact: Pendo Maro | pendomaro@acp.int  Olushola Olayide | OlusholaO@africa-union.org  More Information: http://www.acp.int/content/bonn-climate-change-conference-vulnerability-africa-caribbean-pacific-countries-adaptation-c https://www.au.int/ South-South Initiatives to Support Monitoring, Reporting and Verification, and Transparency of Action and SupportPresented by the Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) This side event showcased South-South cooperation success stories on: technical and financial support; strengthening in-country and regional institutional capacity for monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV), and transparency of action and support in developing countries; and sharing methods, tools and data. William Agyemang-Bonsu, UNFCCC Secretariat, moderated the discussion.  Toby Hedger, UNFCCC Secretariat, presented the UNFCCC Climate Action and Support Transparency Training (UNFCCC-CASTT) programme, an initiative for national readiness for implementation of the Paris Agreement developed jointly with the Greenhouse Gas Inventory & Research Center of Korea (GIR). She explained that the programme’s objective is to promote effective and universal participation of countries in MRV and the transparency framework under the Paris Agreement through targeted, professional and comprehensive capacity building, as well as to contribute to implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (quality education). She said the programme offers packages for policymakers, policy implementers, and technicians and development experts.  Jae Jung, GIR, elaborated on the Center’s collaboration with the UNFCCC-CASTT to provide a professional training programme on greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories for national experts from developing countries. He said the UNFCCC-GIR-CASTT programme has offered lectures and hands-on exercises to government officials and researchers from developing countries on GHG compilation and mitigation modeling since 2011, with 228 trainees from 52 countries successfully completing the programme.  Damiano Borgogno, UN Development Programme (UNDP) Global Support Programme (GSP), stressed the need to ensure that supported initiatives are sustainable over time, and to avoid redundancy. Among GSP-supported initiatives, he highlighted the West African South-South Network on MRV and the Latin American Network on GHG Inventories. Agré Mathieu Richemond Assié, Côte d’Ivoire, elaborated on the West African South-South Network on MRV, highlighting its vision to have operational MRV systems in West African countries by 2020. Among the Network’s objectives, he noted: facilitating the exchange of knowledge in the energy, and agriculture, forestry and other land-use sectors; supporting capacity development activities; and creating awareness within national institutions responsible for data collection.  Diana Camila Rodríguez Vargas, Colombia, showcased the Latin American Network on GHG Inventories. She highlighted challenges faced by Latin American countries, including: development of GHG inventories; maintaining stable inventory systems over time; and adequate institutional arrangements. She said the purpose of the Network is to: maintain South-South cooperation on national GHG inventories among Latin American Spanish-speaking countries; facilitate knowledge exchange through a range of tools; and provide technical support on, inter alia, different models of institutional arrangements and strengthening capacity for using the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National GHG Inventories. Kirsten Orschulok, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB), Germany, presented on the Partnership on Transparency in the Paris Agreement (PATPA), formerly the International Partnership on Mitigation and MRV, outlining the Partnership’s current activities to promote practical exchange and political dialogue between countries on enhanced transparency. She noted that the PATPA seeks to foster transparency, communication, networking and trust between countries by bringing together negotiators and implementers.  During the ensuing discussion, participants addressed, inter alia: the role of adaptation in the Paris Agreement transparency framework; PATPA support on transparency of adaptation and support; and eligibility requirements for participation in UNFCCC-CASTT workshops. L-R: William Agyemang-Bonsu, UNFCCC Secretariat; Kirsten Orschulok, BMUB, Germany; Agré Mathieu Richemond Assié, Côte d’Ivoire; and Damiano Borgogno, UNDP GSP Jae Jung, GIR, said that the UNFCCC-GIR-CASTT programme on GHG inventories provides training on reporting and review under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, GHG inventory compilation and sectoral GHG MRV, among others. Damiano Borgogno, UNDP GSP (center), introduced the GSP-supported West African South-South Network on MRV and the Latin American Network on GHG Inventories. William Agyemang-Bonsu, UNFCCC Secretariat, noted that the UNFCCC-CASTT programme “allows us to move away from traditional workshops.” Among the main activities of the Latin American Network on GHG Inventories, Diana Camila Rodríguez Vargas, Colombia, highlighted establishment of formal arrangements to implement the Network, and identification of barriers and support needs. Kirsten Orschulok, BMUB, Germany, said PATPA’s formats include: partnership meetings on the margins of UN negotiations; capacity-building activities through peer-to-peer learning during technical workshops; and knowledge sharing. Contact: Marlan Pillay | Mpillay@unfccc.int More Information: http://unfccc.int/national_reports/non-annex_i_national_communications/unfccc_castt/items/10261.php https://www.transparency-partnership.net/ https://www.gir.go.kr/eng/ Raising Ambition in Climate and Development: Adaptation Benefit Mechanism and Sustainable Development Goals Impact QuantificationPresented by the Gold Standard Foundation (GSF) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) In this side event, panelists highlighted how sustainable development can catalyze greater climate ambition while helping developing countries meet their development objectives. Gareth Phillips, AfDB, moderated the panel.  Outlining a proposed adaptation benefit mechanism (ABM), Phillips underscored that, if created, the ABM will: use a credible and transparent process to provide a results-based mechanism; offer a price signal for adaptation benefits; and determine this price signal by verified costs defined by an approved methodology. He said that the ABM would likely be supported by: donors who wish to transfer climate funds for long-term adaptation in a “transparent, efficient and cost-effective manner”; and socially responsible corporate buyers who wish to demonstrate their global awareness to shareholders and stakeholders. Highlighting differences between the Clean Development Mechanism and the proposed ABM, Phillips stressed that: the ABM is simpler, as it is a “contract” and not an “uncapped environmental liability”; units are non-fungible and not designed for submission against an obligation; and the ABM will finance the most compelling adaptation needs. Noting a “preponderance of mitigation” among internationally-negotiated financing mechanisms, Axel Michaelowa, Perspectives Climate Change, said that the ABM could reduce this bias. He suggested that, to avoid potential “stumbling blocks,” the ABM should ensure that: the mechanism does not “crowd out” public finance; units provide an “open choice” for the private sector; and a sufficient number of methodologies allows for a “convergence” of similar approaches and metrics.  Chebet Maikut, Uganda, emphasized that current funding mechanisms are not sufficient to meet the needs of all developing countries. He called for fully capitalizing on current funding mechanisms and innovative approaches to mobilize additional resources. Maikut said that the ABM has the potential to “liberate” private sector financing.  Questioning why it has been an “uphill battle” to include sustainable development in climate negotiations, Marion Verles, GSF, underscored that public support for sustainable development can be the “driving force” for more ambitious climate action. Recalling the Kyoto Protocol and associated trading schemes, she emphasized that negative public perception linked to poor safeguard mechanisms and poor sustainable development objectives undermined the Protocol’s credibility. Verles said that the “elements are in place” for a paradigm shift that embeds sustainable development in climate policies.  Noting that the definition of sustainable development varies between countries, Sven Braden, Liechtenstein, stressed the importance of national prerogatives. He called for tools and forums to discuss potential contradictions within the Sustainable Development Goals. L-R: Marion Verles, GSF; Axel Michaelowa, Perspectives Climate Change; and Sven Braden, Liechtenstein Sven Braden, Liechtenstein, noted that his country was one of the first to link Certified Emission Reductions to labeling that ensures sustainable development. Chebet Maikut, Uganda, stressed the “moral responsibility” to finance adaptation needs of developing countries. Marion Verles, GSF, underscored that sustainable development can be the “key element to move the needle” on climate ambition. Gareth Phillips, AfDB, said that, in some parts of Africa, “adaptation is the new mitigation” as there is more potential for action in this area. Contact: Sarah Leugers | sarah.leugers@goldstandard.org Gareth Phillips | g.phillips@afdb.org More Information: https://www.afdb.org/en/topics-and-sectors/initiatives-partnerships/adaptation-benefit-mechanism-abm/ Supporting Loss and Damage for the Most Vulnerable: Experiences from Africa and Elsewhere Presented by CARE International, the ACT Alliance - Action by Churches, and Practical Action This side event, moderated by Sven Harmeling, CARE International, discussed key definitions and principles for financing loss and damage initiatives, including through climate risk insurance, and shared findings from the African Risk Capacity (ARC), a specialized agency of the African Union.  Idy Niang, Senegal, said that the challenge before the Executive Committee (ExCom) of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage associated with Climate Change Impacts (WIM) in its work on a clearing house for risk transfer is to develop a sound international framework to ensure that insurance companies help vulnerable populations. He noted the R4 Rural Resilience Initiative (R4) in his country, highlighting food security among its benefits. Sabine Minninger, ACT Alliance, hoped that the upcoming Group of 20 Summit, taking place in Hamburg. Germany, from 7-8 July 2017, will take forward Germany’s InsuResilience initiative, which aims to provide climate risk insurance coverage to 400 million poor and vulnerable people by 2020. She cautioned against addressing climate change by “dealing with the symptoms,” such as loss and damage. Minninger also urged civil society to work on making climate risk insurance premiums affordable, noting that the poorest “should not pay at all.” Vitumbiko Chinoko, CARE International, presented on the ARC, highlighting experiences from Southern Africa. Among recommendations for the ARC, he identified the need for: capacity building on, and affordability of, climate risk insurance; enhanced participation and transparency through involving non-state actors; enabling environments; using participation of the poor as a criterion for approving applications for certificates of good standing; and a participatory monitoring and evaluation process for the whole facility that should include poor women farmers. Swenja Surminski, London School of Economics (LSE), emphasized the importance of keeping in mind the aims and objectives behind using insurance as a tool to address loss and damage. Highlighting advantages of insurance over post-disaster aid, she noted incentivizing and enhancing risk reduction through insurance, and sharing loss and damage beyond the at-risk community through solidarity funds as key challenges to designing and implementing insurance in the loss and damage context.  Reinhard Mechler, International Institute for Advanced System Analysis (IIASA), outlined the pro-poor principles of the Munich Climate Insurance Initiative (MCII), including comprehensive needs-based solutions, client value, affordability, accessibility, participation, sustainability and enabling environments. Among transformative measures for risk management, he highlighted: pooling and sharing risks in order to diversify them; innovative instruments involving public-private partnerships; livelihood transformation; and migration. Under “curative” options, he listed loss and damage mechanisms at the national level and a displacement coordination facility.   In the ensuing discussion, participants addressed, inter alia: the role of the WIM ExCom and the clearing house for risk transfer in initiatives, such as InsuResilience; innovative sources of, and accounting for, loss and damage finance; utility of indirect insurance mechanisms for the poor; links between insurance initiatives and humanitarian networks; involvement of multilateral development banks in climate insurance; and challenges associated with covering insurance premiums for the poor. In closing, Colin McQuistan, Practical Action, said that the key objective of the event was to “keep loss and damage on the agenda,” noting that capacity building is vital. Sabine Minninger, ACT Alliance; Swenja Surminski, LSE; Sven Harmeling, CARE International; Reinhard Mechler, IIASA; and Vitumbiko Chinoko, CARE International Sven Harmeling, CARE International, questioned whether insurance mechanisms have the capacity to address the growing risks of loss and damage. Reinhard Mechler, IIASA, observed that “there is not a single market-based insurance mechanism; there is always an element of solidarity involved.” Sabine Minninger, ACT Alliance, underscored that “climate insurance is not an answer to climate justice.” Noting that women are the most vulnerable to climate change, Vitumbiko Chinoko, CARE International, highlighted his organization’s efforts to ensure that women are protected. Contact: Sven Harmeling | sharmeling@careclimatechange.org  Isaiah Toroitich | ikt@actalliance.org  Colin McQuistan | colin.mcquistan@practicalaction.org.uk  More Information: http://www.care-international.org/ http://actalliance.org/ https://practicalaction.org/  Human Mobility and Climate Change: Synergies between the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and Other Global Policy Processes Presented by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) This event discussed developments relevant to the Task Force on Climate Displacement under the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage associated with Climate Change Impacts, which was mandated by the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to develop recommendations to avert, minimize and address displacement. Atle Solberg, Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD), moderated the event. Michelle Yonetani, International Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), NRC, highlighted that displacement is more strongly recognized under the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) than under its predecessor, the Hyogo Framework for Action. Among key recommendations of the PDD to the 2017 Global Platform for DRR, she noted: preventing displacement and reducing displacement risk; addressing protection needs and promoting durable solutions to displacement; and strengthening the systematic collection and monitoring of displacement data to inform policy and planning. Marine Franck, UNHCR, introduced the 2016 New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, noting processes to adopt a global compact on migration and a global compact on refugees as key outcomes. She highlighted the UNHCR’s work includes Guidelines on Temporary Protection or Stay Arrangements, which can apply in the context of climate change and disasters, and a 10-Point Plan of Action on Refugee Protection and Mixed Migration. Dina Ionesco, International Organization for Migration (IOM), said the global compact on migration offers an opportunity to integrate climate change into key migration policy processes. She also said climate change offers an opportunity to “green” and modernize migration policy. Noting that the human rights and vulnerabilities of those affected by slow onset events are often overlooked, Benjamin Schachter, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), highlighted his organization’s efforts to address information gaps in this area. He underscored the importance of human rights policy coherence across different global policy processes.  Meredith Byrne, International Labour Organization (ILO), welcomed the integrated approach of the Task Force on Displacement, and noted that it provides opportunities to make linkages with the Sustainable Development Goals and is in a “unique position” to bring together experts from cross-cutting areas. Stressing that there are 150.3 million migrant workers with “enormous development potential,” she additionally highlighted ILO’s work on green jobs. In the discussion, participants addressed, inter alia: several opportunities for civil society to engage in the global compact on refugees, including through the UNHCR’s 2017 non-governmental organization consultations; the need to raise awareness of what human rights are, and how they can be asserted; how climate finance can exacerbate human rights violations and the need for a regulatory framework to ensure businesses respect human rights; the IOM’s Environmental Migration Portal; and the need to “shine light” on good practices. L-R: Michelle Yonetani, IDMC, NRC; Marine Franck, UNHCR; Atle Solberg, PDD; Dina Ionesco, IOM; and Benjamin Schachter, OHCHR Benjamin Schachter, OHCHR, underscored that climate change puts human rights at risk and drives migration. Michelle Yonetani, IDMC, NRC, said climate-related disasters cause an average of 21.5 million displacements each year. Marine Franck, UNHCR, highlighted efforts to ensure synergies between the global compact on refugees and the Task Force on Climate Displacement. Dina Ionesco, IOM, stressed migrants can be powerful agents of adaptation and mitigation policies. Contact: Lena Brenn | lena.brenn@nrc.no Erica Bower | bower@unhcr.org More Information: https://www.nrc.no/what-we-do/speaking-up-for-rights/climate-change/ http://www.unhcr.org/climate-change-and-disasters.html http://disasterdisplacement.org/ Contribution of Forest Landscape Restoration to Nationally Determined Contributions Presented by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the international Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) This side event concentrated on the contribution of forest landscape restoration (FLR) to the achievement of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Panelists shared views on the design and successful implementation of FLR policies and practices, and discussed how FLR contributes to reducing emissions and enhancing carbon stocks in forest landscapes.  Sandeep Sengupta, IUCN, moderated the event. He noted IUCN’s Bonn Challenge, which aims to secure pledges to restore up to 150 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2020, and 350 million hectares by 2050.  Nur Masripatin, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Indonesia, focused on the role of forest and land-use sectors in Indonesia’s NDC. She said that forestry is responsible for 17.2% of her country’s emissions reduction target of 29% of the business-as-usual scenario by 2030 reflected in its NDC.  Leticia Guimaraes, Ministry of Environment, Brazil, highlighted national instruments to support implementation of reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries (REDD+), and the national plan for recovery of native vegetation, including: the Brazilian forest code which requires land owners in the Amazon biome to maintain 80% of their land as forest; and the rural environmental registry, which enables the government to track implementation of the code. She said that her country’s NDC includes a target to reforest and recover 12 million hectares of land.  Florian Kraxner, IIASA, noted that global estimates of degraded area with potential to be restored vary from 1 billion to 6 billion hectares. Highlighting the RESTORE+ project, he said it aims to: identify degraded land; assess the implications of using different degraded land definitions; and assess the sectoral interaction of the food-land-energy nexus.  Ping Yowargana, IIASA, explained the limitations of remote sensing in identifying degraded land resources and described the potential of crowdsourcing to estimate land availability for reforestation. He detailed strategies for engaging grassroots actors in data collection and verification, including, inter alia: crowdsourcing of land cover analysis; in situ data validation using mobile applications; and visualization of land cover data sets and suitability maps.  Underscoring that FLR aims to regain ecological functionality across deforested and degraded forest landscapes, María del Carmen García-Espinosa, IUCN, said that it also promotes socioeconomic benefits by improving the wellbeing of forest-dependent communities. She highlighted IUCN’s Restoration Opportunity Assessment Methodology (ROAM) to identify and prioritize FLR opportunities at the national and subnational levels, noting that ROAM has been deployed in at least 26 jurisdictions or countries.  Ruth Irlen, Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB), Germany, stressed that the Bonn Challenge is about “enabling informed decision making.” She identified as key to meeting the targets of the Bonn Challenge: development of sustainable restoration models that meet national needs; and innovation to combine “big data” with crowdsourcing and ground proofing of data.  During the ensuing discussion, participants addressed, inter alia: the role of indigenous peoples in Brazil in protecting forests; developing the national REDD+ project strategy and implementing reforestation projects; resilience of community conservation and restoration initiatives; and restoration of palm oil plantation land in Indonesia.  L-R: Sandeep Sengupta, IUCN; María del Carmen García-Espinosa, IUCN; Leticia Guimaraes, Ministry of Environment, Brazil; Ruth Irlen, BMUB, Germany; Nur Masripatin, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Indonesia; Florian Kraxner, IIASA; and Ping Yowargana, IIASA Ping Yowargana, IIASA, highlighted strategies for “citizen-empowered scientific assessment” of land-use degradation and restoration. Sandeep Sengupta, IUCN, moderated the event. Nur Masripatin, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Indonesia, said that the forest area in her country has decreased since 1990 but the rate of net forest loss has been cut by 50%. Leticia Guimaraes, Ministry of Environment, Brazil, highlighted her country’s recent commitment to the Bonn Challenge. Contact: Sandeep Sengupta | Sandeep.sengupta@iucn.org Susan Riley | riley@iiasa.ac.at More Information: http://www.bonnchallenge.org/content/challenge Around the Venue