Caribbean Community

On Thursday, 13 July, the informal working group on capacity building and technology transfer continued discussions in the morning, focusing on: objectives, principles, modalities, clearinghouse mechanism, funding, monitoring and review, and definitions. The informal working group on crosscutting issues, facilitated by Chair Carlos Sobral Duarte, Brazil, focused on: institutional arrangements, including a decision-making forum, a scientific/technical body, a clearinghouse, a financial mechanism, dispute settlement, responsibility and liability, and review; and the preamble of an international legally binding instrument. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from the 4th Session of the Preparatory Committee Established by the UN General Assembly Resolution 69/292: Development of an International Legally Binding Instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Franz Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page L-R: Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UNDOALOS; Rena Lee, Singapore, Facilitator of the informal working group on capacity building and transfer of marine technology; Alice Hicuburundi, UNDOALOS; and Vita Onwuasoanya, UNDOALOS Juliette Babb-Riley, Barbados, on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Sabita Nakarmi, Nepal Faiyaz Murshid Kazi, Bangladesh Marc Richir, EU Carlos García Reyes, Guatemala Saifu George, Sierra Leone Jorge Dotta, Uruguay Vladimir Ryabinin, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) Margo Deiye, Nauru, on behalf of the Pacific Small Island Developing States Riena Dwi Astuty, Indonesia Kjell Kristian Egge, Norway Ismail Raushan, Maldives, on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Dhisadee Chamlongrasdr, Thailand James Ndirangu Waweru, Kenya Rogelio Villanueva Jr., the Philippines Mohamed Atlassi, Morocco Audrey Naana Abayena, Ghana Tatiana Shuvalova, Russian Federation Luke Tang, Singapore Jean Kenfack, Cameroon Tevita Suka Mangisi, Tonga Alain Tellier, Canada Pablo Arrocha Olabuenaga, Mexico Zentaro Naganuma, Japan Estrella Tulay, the Philippines Landisang Kotaro, Palau Chair Carlos Sobral Duarte, Brazil, facilitating the informal working group on crosscutting issues L-R: Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UNDOALOS; Barbara Boechat, Brazil; Chair Carlos Sobral Duarte, Brazil; Charlotte Salpin, UNDOALOS; and Michele Ameri, UNDOALOS Sibylle Vermont, Switzerland Zakieh Taghizadeh, Iran Metod Špaček, EU Duncan Currie, Greenpeace Evan Bloom, US Oleg Rykov, Russian Federation Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria, on behalf of the African Group Aboubacar Oulare, Guinea Florian Botto, Monaco L-R: Zentaro Naganuma, Japan, in a conversation with Matthías Pálsson, Iceland Delegates from the Caribbean Community Delegates from Germany

On Wednesday, 12 July, the informal working group on area-based management tools (ABMTs), including marine protected areas (MPAs), continued discussions on the designation process, as well as on implementation, relationships to existing instruments, and monitoring and review. The informal working group on environmental impact assessments (EIAs), facilitated by René Lefeber (the Netherlands), then addressed: obligations, guiding principles and approaches, criteria and thresholds, process, content of EIA reports, relationships to existing instruments, clearinghouse mechanisms, capacity building and technology transfer, and monitoring and review. The informal working group on capacity building and technology transfer, facilitated by Rena Lee (Singapore), started discussion of objectives, and guiding principles and approaches. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from the 4th Session of the Preparatory Committee Established by the UN General Assembly Resolution 69/292: Development of an International Legally Binding Instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Franz Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page L-R: Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS); Alice Revell, New Zealand, Facilitator of the informal working group on ABMTs, including MPAs; Valentina Germani, UNDOALOS; and Carlos Fuentes, UNDOALOS Siai Taylor, Cook Islands Kjell Kristian Egge, Norway Ma Xinmin, China Riena Dwi Astuty, Indonesia Michael Googan, Australia Blaise Kuemlangan, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) Rena Lee, Singapore Evan Bloom, US Alice Revell, New Zealand, Facilitator of the informal working group on ABMTs, including MPAs Luis Oña Garcés, Ecuador, on behalf of the G-77/China Veronica Frank, Greenpeace Zentaro Naganuma, Japan Arnór Snæbjörnsson, Iceland Margo Deiye, Nauru, on behalf of the Pacific Small Island Developing States Leonito Bacalando Jr., Federated States of Micronesia John Fintakpa Lamega, Togo Kate Neilson, New Zealand L-R: Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UNDOALOS; René Lefeber, the Netherlands, Facilitator of the informal working group on environmental impact assessments; Chair Carlos Sobral Duarte, Brazil; Alice Hicuburundi, UNDOALOS; and Charlotte Salpin, UNDOALOS L-R: Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UNDOALOS; René Lefeber, the Netherlands, Facilitator of the informal working group on environmental impact assessments; Michael Schewchuk, UNDOALOS; and Yoshinobu Takei, UNDOALOS Wini Broadbelt, EU Lizanne Aching, Trinidad and Tobago, on behalf of the Caribbean Community Babajide Alo, Nigeria Oleg Rykov, Russian Federation Cymie Payne, IUCN Cheikhy Sidi, Mauritania Clarissa Jacqueline Caancan, the Philippines Duncan Currie, Greenpeace Penny Race, New Zealand L-R: Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UNDOALOS; Rena Lee, Singapore, Facilitator of the informal working group on capacity building and transfer of marine technology; and Vita Onwuasoanya, UNDOALOS Kathleen Siala Taituave, Samoa Da Hee Song, Republic of Korea Pablo Arrocha Olabuenaga, Mexico Martin Zvachula, Federated States of Micronesia Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria, on behalf of the African Group L-R: Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria, consulting with Thembile Joyini, South Africa L-R: Sergey Leonidchenko, Russian Federation, in a conversation with Kjell Kristian Egge, Norway, and Evan Bloom, US Delegates from Fiji and Samoa Delegates from the Philippines

On Tuesday, 11 July, PrepCom 4's informal working group on marine genetic resources (MGRs), addressed: the nature of benefits; benefit-sharing modalities; intellectual property rights; monitoring of utilization of MGRs; a clearinghouse mechanism; and capacity building and technology transfer. The informal working group on measures such as area-based management tools (ABMTs), including marine protected areas (MPAs), facilitated by Alice Revell (New Zealand), discussed: objectives, guiding principles and approaches, criteria for identifying areas in need of protection; and the process for establishing ABMTs, including decision-making. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from the 4th Session of the Preparatory Committee Established by the UN General Assembly Resolution 69/292: Development of an International Legally Binding Instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Franz Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page L-R: Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS); Janine Coye-Felson, Belize, Facilitator of the informal working group on marine genetic resources; Charlotte Salpin, UNDOALOS; and Michele Ameri, UNDOALOS Dominic Misiolo Sofe, Samoa Riena Dwi Astuty, Indonesia Zha Hyoung Rhee, Republic of Korea Hina Saeed Baig, Pakistan Zentaro Naganuma, Japan Juliette Babb-Riley, Barbados, on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Leonito Bacalando Jr., Federated States of Micronesia Rogelio Villanueva Jr., the Philippines José Luis Fernández Valoni, Argentina Essam Yassin Mohammed, Eritrea Margo Deiye, Nauru, on behalf of the Pacific Small Island Developing States Zakieh Taghizadeh, Iran Shara Duncan, Costa Rica Sergey Leonidchenko, Russian Federation, making an intervention Konrad Marciniak, EU Hiroko Muraki Gottlieb, IUCN Jessica Battle, WWF Alain Tellier, Canada Sabita Nakarmi, Nepal Sibylle Vermont, Switzerland, making an intervention L-R: Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UNDOALOS; Chair Carlos Sobral Duarte, Brazil; Alice Hicuburundi, UNDOALOS; and Charlotte Salpin, UNDOALOS L-R: Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UNDOALOS; Alice Revell, New Zealand, Facilitator of the informal working group on ABMTs, including MPAs; and Alice Hicuburundi, UNDOALOS Sophie Mirgaux, EU Ma Xinmin, China Kate Neilson, New Zealand Aboubacar Oulare, Guinea Fred Sarufa, Papua New Guinea Drusila Esther Bayate, the Philippines Luis Oña Garcés, Ecuador, on behalf of the G-77/China Tevita Suka Mangisi, Tonga Evan Bloom, US Mirriam Lidimani, Solomon Islands L-R: Luis Oña Garcés, Ecuador, in a conversation with Zakieh Taghizadeh, Iran Alexander Shestakov (center), WWF, in a discussion with delegates from the Russian Federation L-R: Florian Botto, Monaco; Sergio Carvalho, Portugal; Tidiani Couma, Monaco; and Stella Bartolini Cavicchi, World Ocean Council

The 2017 meeting of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), opened on Monday, 10 July 2017, at UN Headquarters in New York. Following an opening plenary that reviewed progress on implementing the 2030 Agenda in the first two years since its adoption, key regional and sub-regional players, including representatives of UN Regional Commissions, exchanged regional experiences to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In the afternoon, a thematic review on “Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world: Addressing multi-dimensions of poverty and inequalities,” took place. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage, daily reports from HLPF 2017 and also produced a summary and analysis report, which is available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Opening and Session 1: Where are we in year two of implementation of the 2030 Agenda? View of the dais during the opening session Frederick Musiiwa Makamure Shava, Permanent Representative of Zimbabwe to the UN, and President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Wu Hongbo, UN Under-Secretary-General, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, Vice-Chair of the Committee for Development Policy, and Professor of International Affairs, The New School Robert Johnson, President, Institute for New Economic Thinking Vivania Ditukana Tatawaqa, Diverse Voices and Action for Equality, Fiji, and representative of the Women's Major Group Session 2: Implementation at the regional and sub-regional levels Panel speakers during the session Shamshad Akhtar, Executive Secretary, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Mohamed Ali Alhakim, Executive Secretary, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) Aida Opoku-Mensah, Special Advisor to the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Olga Algayerova, Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) Christo Janse van Noordwyk, South Africa, speaking on behalf of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Oleg Pankratov, Vice Prime Minister, Kyrgyzstan, on behalf of the Eurasian Economic Union Sai Jyothirmai Racherla, speaking on behalf of the Women's Major Group Rudolph Michael Ten-Pow, Guyana, speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Rubén Zamora, El Salvador, speaking on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Delegates during the session Session 3: Thematic review - Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world: Addressing multi-dimensions of poverty and inequalities View of the dais during the session Vikas Swarup, High Commissioner of India to Canada Sabina Alkire, Director of the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), University of Oxford Nabeel Munir, Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, and Vice President, ECOSOC Claudia Vasquez Marazzani, Director, Economic, Social and Environmental Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Colombia Anthony Lake, Executive Director, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Laura Stachel, Executive Director and Co-Founder, We Care Solar Emem Omokaro, Executive Director, Dave Omokaro Foundation (DOF), and African Society for Ageing Research and Development (ASARD) Margaret Kobia, Kenya Jamil Ahmad, UN Environment Eppu Mikkonen-Jeanneret, Finland Limiaa Abdelgafar Ahmed, Sudan Xu Zhongsheng, China Heidi Berner Herrera, Chile Jesús Orus Baguena, EU Saand Youssouf Ahmed Abdallah, Comoros Around the Venue Frederick Musiiwa Makamure Shava, Permanent Representative of Zimbabwe to the UN and President of ECOSOC, speaks with members of the Secretariat Delegates from Ecuador Nabeel Munir, Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, and Vice-President, ECOSOC; Moncef Khane, ECOSOC Secretariat; and Vikas Swarup, High Commissioner of India to Canada Delegates from the Russian Federation Christoph Lang, Switzerland Observers listen to the discussion Delegates speak informally between sessions Hand-woven HLPF lanyards made by the Women's Initiative in Nepal that aims to lift women out of poverty through training and empowerment Around the UN Headquarters

On Monday, 10 July, the fourth session of the Preparatory Committee on the elements of a draft text of an international legally binding instrument (ILBI) under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) opened with the plenary addressing administrative matters and hearing general statements. In the afternoon, the informal working group on marine genetic resources (MGRs), facilitated by Janine Coye-Felson (Belize), convened to discuss scope, guiding principles and approaches, access and benefit-sharing. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from the 4th Session of the Preparatory Committee Established by the UN General Assembly Resolution 69/292: Development of an International Legally Binding Instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Franz Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Chair Carlos Sobral Duarte, Brazil Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel, on behalf of UN Secretary-General António Guterres Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel, giving his opening address to PrepCom4 L-R: Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS); Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel; Chair Carlos Sobral Duarte, Brazil; Alice Hicuburundi, UNDOALOS; and Charlotte Salpin, UNDOALOS Alice Revell, New Zealand Jane Chigiyal, Federated States of Micronesia Horacio Sevilla-Borja, Ecuador, on behalf of the G-77/China Sergey Leonidchenko, Russian Federation Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria, on behalf of the African Group John Brincat, EU Marlene Moses, Nauru, on behalf of the Pacific Small Island Developing States Teodoro Locsin Jr., the Philippines Ma Xinmin, China Ismail Raushan, Maldives, on behalf of Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Pablo Arrocha Olabuenaga, Mexico Evan Bloom, US, making an intervention Faiyaz Murshid Kazi, Bangladesh Matthías Pálsson, Iceland Michael Googan, Australia Cristóbal Hernández Castillo, Chile Juliette Babb-Riley, Barbados, on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Rishy Bukoree, Mauritius Alain Tellier, Canada Florian Botto, Monaco Carlos García Reyes, Guatemala Kathryn Garforth, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Louise Kantrow, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Ariel Hernán Troisi, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) -UNESCO Kristina Gjerde, IUCN Stefan Micallef, International Maritime Organization Takehiro Nakamura, UN Environment Peggy Kalas, High Seas Alliance Gustavo Arévalo Castro, Comisión Permanente del Pacifico Sur (CPPS) L-R: Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS); Janine Coye-Felson, Belize, Facilitator of the informal working group on marine genetic resources; and Charlotte Salpin, UNDOALOS James Ndirangu Waweru, Kenya Konrad Marciniak, EU Rogelio Villanueva Jr., the Philippines Delegates from the Federated States of Micronesia and Nauru consulting L-R: Ma Xinmin, China, in a conversation with Evan Bloom, US Delegates from the African Group