Central and Eastern Europe

Highlights for Tuesday, 2 April 2019 Ariel Bergamino, Vice Minister, Foreign Affairs, Uruguay; Jorge Basso, Minister, Public Health, Uruguay; Eneida de León, Minister of Housing, Land Planning and Environment, Uruguay; Jacob Duer, Head of SAICM Secretariat, and Tineka Smith, UN Environment The Third Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG3) of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) opened at the Antel Arena in Montevideo, Uruguay, on Tuesday, 2 April 2019. Delegates heard high-level addresses from Uruguay, Romania on behalf of European Union, and UN Environment Programme (UNEP), followed by opening statements by regional groupings, government delegates and other stakeholders. Most of the day was focused on the Strategic Approach and the sound management of chemicals and waste beyond 2020, starting with a brief recorded presentation by consultant Robert Nurick summarizing key points from the independent evaluation of SAICM for the period 2006-2015. Since the full evaluation will not be available until the end of April, the OEWG decided to defer detailed discussion until the third intersessional process (IP) meeting slated for October 2019. The OEWG then heard a presentation by IP Co-Chair David Morin on the paper on beyond 2020 prepared by the IP Co-Chairs,with an emphasis on areas of agreement involving possible principles, objectives, and targets for a SAICM 2.0 and/or post-2020 complementary framework, but also noting some disagreement about scope.The OEWG agreed to create a contact group to meet on Tuesday evening and Wednesday to discuss possible recommendations to ICCM5 scheduled for 2020, and a Friends of the President group to discuss possible elements of a post-2020 framework. Noting the departure of IP Co-Chair Letícia Reis de Carvalho (Brazil), the OEWG appointed Judith Torres (Uruguay) as the new IP Co-Chair.In the late afternoon the Secretariat presented its progress report on SAICM for the 2014-2016 period as well as its analysis of 20 indicators of progress toward the 2020 goal of sound management of chemicals and waste. Then some members of the Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC) presented updates on recent activities in support of SAICM and its objectives. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) meeting coverage, has provided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from OEWG3, which is available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Ángeles Estrada Vigil For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Opening Session Dais during Opening Session ICCM5 President Gertrud Sahler Eneida de León, Minister of Housing, Land Planning, and Environment of Uruguay Delegates during the opening sessionn Ariel Bergamino, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Uruguay Jorge Basso, Minister of Public Health, Uruguay Tim Kasten, UN Environment (UNEP) Laurentiu Adrian Neculaescu, State Secretary, Ministry of the Environment, Romania, on behalf of the European Union (EU) and its Member States Jacob Duer, Head of SAICM Secretariat; ICCM5 President Gertrud Sahler; Brenda Koekkoek, SAICM Secretariat; Szymon Domagalski, Poland; and Menoosh Azodi, SAICM Secretariat Rory O'Neill, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Maria Florencia Grimalt, Argentina Vladimir Lenev, Russian Federation, speaking on behalf of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) Babajide Alo, Africa Institute Sarojeni V. Rengan, PAN International Heidar Ali Balouji, Iran David Morin, Canada, Co-Chair of the Intersessional Process David Kapindula, Zambia Jutta Emig, Germany Karissa Taylor Kovner, United States Manal Azzi, International Labour Organization (ILO) Brice Lalonde, French Water Academy Keiko Segawa, Japan A view of the room Participants between sessions Side Event: Lessons Learned from the SAICM Quick Start Programme (QSP) and Its Closure

Highlights for Sunday, 10 March 2019 Participants were treated to a reception at the close of the Forum On Sunday, 10 March, discussion sessions took place throughout the day, organized under the six thematic streams of the Forum. Some topics addressed included: early warning for decision making; alternatives to plastics – current challenges and future vision; innovative technologies and approaches in monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); sustainable water and waste management in developing cities; avoidance of global warming through clean and efficient cooling innovations; Sustainability Research and Innovation 2020; new hotspot analysis tools for decision making on sustainable consumption and production; Third Pole: A call for action to combat climate impacts in fragile ecosystems; solving the broken nitrogen cycle; and driving transformative innovation through sustainable chemistry. During a special session hosted by UNEA-4 President Siim Kiisler and dubbed “The GreenTech Startup Marathon,” nine startup companies pitched their ideas on ground-breaking innovations to address global environmental challenges. After three judges - in a “Dragon’s Den” style setting - put questions to all the competitors, they announced that they had all met their criteria, many were outstanding and the top three, in no rank order, were BoxPower, Planet Heroes, and Algramo. The judges also noted that reusable containers are a good idea for reducing ocean pollution and that eco-crowdfunding can potentially be transformative. The 2nd UN Science-Policy-Business Forum on the Environment concluded with an overview of messages and recommendations from thematic discussions over its two days. In closing remarks, Satya Tripathi, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the UNEP New York Office, described the Forum as unique, “because it is focused on making people’s lives better.” He called for drawing inspiration from farmers in India who are taking risks to protect the planet. Jian Liu, Chief Scientist, UNEP, reflected that the Forum had transformed from “a platform to an incubator,” noting that the level of ambition to use data for action was high. He reminded participants of the need for collective leadership moving forward. During the closing session, delegates also observed a minute of silence to honor passengers who lost their lives in the Ethiopian Airlines crash on Sunday, 10 March, some of whom were enroute to attend the opening of UNEA-4 in Nairobi. The event closed with a reception, where delegates watched Chinese artist Jiahuang Chang create a painting dedicated to the work of the Forum. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage and a summary report from the 2nd Global Session of the UN Science-Policy-Business Forum on the Environment. The summary report 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 Green Collar Jobs: A Bright Hope for the Planet? L-R: Susan Gardner, UNEP; Charlotte Bonner, National Union of Students, UK; Bert de Wel, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC); Carlo Papa, Enel Foundation; and Jiang Wu, Tongji University, China Bert de Wel, ITUC Jiang Wu, Tongii University, China Susan Gardner, UNEP Carlo Papa, Enel Foundation Development of Sustainable Water Infrastructure L-R: Geert van Capellen, Secretary General, World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure (PIANC); Arjan Hijdra, Director, Global Infrastructure Institute; Remment Ter Hofstede, Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contractors; and Polite Laboyrie, President, Central Dredging Association Alternatives to Plastics: Current Challenges and Future Vision L-R: Geoffrey Wahungu, Director General, National Environmental Management Authority, Kenya; Lilian Magak, Kenyan Commercial Forestry Programme; Yoshiki Takeoka, Kaneka Corporation; Shollay Ramlaul, BASF East Africa; and Albert Nyagechi, Kenya Bureau of Standards Third Pole: A Call for Action to Combat Climate Change Impacts in Fragile Ecosystems Alejandro Argumedo, Director, Association ANDES Li Xin, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences Foresight: Early Warning for Decision-making L-R: Charles Sebukeera, UNEP; Maria Andrzejewska, Director, UNEP/Global Resource Information Database (GRID)-Warsaw Centre; Derek Gliddon, Acting Director, Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative; Margaret Nthuli, Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), East Africa; and Thea Carroll, CITES Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) Secretariat Thea Carroll, CITES MIKE Secretariat Margaret Nthuli, ESRI, East Africa Maria Andrzejewska, GRID, Warsaw Innovative Technologies and Approaches in Monitoring the SDGs L-R: Andreas Brink, European Commission; Brian Sullivan, Google Earth; Gilberto Camara, Group on Earth Observations; Jillian Campbell, UNEP; Philip Thigo, Kenya; and Oluf Jessen, DHI Monitoring Ambient Water and Air Quality: Launch of GEMStat Data Interface L-R: Hartwig Kremer, UNEP; Dylan Blake, UMVOTO Africa; Philip Saile, GEMS Data Centre, Germany; Steffen Fritz, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA); Stephanie Holzwarth, UN-Habitat; Sean Khan, UNEP; Nathan Pavlovic, Sonoma Technology; and Miguel Escribano, Kunak Technologies Sustainable Water and Waste Management in Developing Cities Veerle Vandeweerd, Policy Director, Global Science Technology and Innovation Conference (G-STIC) L-R: Min Yang, Deputy Director, Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences (RCEES) and Tom Ogada, Executive Director, African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) L-R: Thierry De Oliveira, UNEP; Nahashon Muguna, Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company, and Maksudur Rahman, Ion Exchange (India) Ltd. Avoiding Global Warming through Clean and Efficient Cooling Innovations L-R: Nick Novelli, Yale University; Jonas Loholm Hamann, Danfoss; Edouard Heripret, Schneider Electric; Mohua Mukherjee, International Solar Alliance; Nihar Shah, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; and Lily Riahi, UNEP, moderated the session Race to a Clean Energy Future L-R: Axel Threlfall, Editor-at-Large, Reuters; Steven Kukoda, International Copper Association; Paolo Falcioni, APPLIA Home Appliance Europe; Carlo Papa, Enel Foundation; Akiko Seyoum Ambaye, CEO, Orchid Business Group; and Janez Potočnik, Co-Chair, International Resource Panel Towards Integrated Action on Air Pollution and Climate Change Dechen Tsering, UNEP Emerging Issues: Solving the Broken Nitrogen Cycle L-R: Mark Sutton, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology; Ramesh Rama Chandaran, India; James Mutegi, International Plant Nutrition Institute; and Christopher Cox, UNEP Sustainability Research and Innovation 2020 L-R: Makyba Charles-Ayinde, American Academy for the Advancement of Science (AAAS); Josh Tewksbury, Future Earth; and Erica Key, Executive Director, Belmont Forum Erica Key, Executive Director, Belmont Forum Makyba Charles-Ayinde, AAAS Healthy Food for a Sustainable Planet - Part 2: Diets to Mitigate Climate Change Philip Lymbery, CEO, Compassion in World Farming Natascha Kooiman, CEO, Smackmaakers Linxiu Zhang, International Ecosystem Management Partnership, UNEP Stineke Oenema, Coordinator, UN System Standing Committee on Nutrition Driving Transformation Innovation Through Sustainable Chemistry L-R: Achim Halpaap, Head, Chemicals and Waste Division, UNEP; Ylann Schemm, Director, Elsevier Foundation; Agnes Dittmar, Director Policy & Communication, International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre (ISC3); Nzambi Matee, Founder, Gjenge Makers; and Sascha Gabizon, Executive Director, Women Engage for Common Future Citizen Science for Smart Sustainable Cities of the Future Kathleen Rogers, President, Earth Day Network Timothy Nixon, Managing Editor, Sustainability, Corporate Responsibility & Inclusion, Thomson Reuters GreenTech Startup Marathon Panel of Judges L-R: Corli Pretorius, Deputy Director, UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre; Michael Karasick, Vice President, Global Labs, IBM Research; and Cécile Thomas-Courcoux, France Representatives of startup companies participating in the marathon Representatives of startup companies participating in the marathon L-R: Axel Threlfall, Editor-at-Large, Reuters; Louis-Francois Saumon Di Nicea, FAMAE; and Barry Dwolatzky, Wits University, setting the context Wanjiru Waweru sharing her experience of starting Funkidz, a children's furniture startup UNEA-4 President Siim Kiisler L-R: Przemek Pyziel, Founder, Planet Heroes; Jose Manuel Moller, Founder and CEO, Algramo; and Angelo Campus, CEO, BoxPower Closing of the Forum Forum participants observing a moment of silence in memory of the lives lost in the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that morning Axel Threlfall, Editor-at-Large, Reuters Shereen Zorba, Head, Secretariat of the UN Science-Policy-Business Forum on the Environment Satya Tripathi, Assistant Secretary-General, UNEP Jian Liu, Chief Scientist, UNEP Mazaruni Khan and Edie Hedda Threlfall, Youth participants L-R: Bruno da Costa Flach, Edan Dionne, Michael Karasick, Hendrik Hamann, and Wayne Balta, IBM Satya Tripathi, Assistant Secretary-General, UNEP, thanked Chinese artist, Chang Jiahuang for donating his artwork to UNEP

Highlights for Wednesday, 30 January 2019 View of the room during the closing plenary. On the final day of CRIC 17, contact group discussions continued throughout the morning to finalize the meeting's outcome documents. During the closing plenary in the afternoon, the Committee adopted three documents summarizing conclusions and recommendations from discussions over the first two days. The documents will be forwarded to the 14th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 14), taking place in New Delhi, India, in October 2019.The following topics are highlighted in the CRIC 17 outcome: further implementation of the five Strategic Objectives Land Degradation Neutrality the UNCCD Gender Action Plan emerging innovative financing opportunities to combat land degradation improving communication and reporting procedures, and recommendations made by civil society organizations. In closing remarks, outgoing UNCCD Executive Secretary Monique Barbut outlined the Convention’s success over the past five years. “Despite having a tiny budget, we got things done,” she said, noting that Land Degradation Neutrality is now seen as an accelerator and integrator of all Sustainable Development Goals. Many delegates expressed appreciation for her contribution in putting the Convention on a secure footing.CRIC Chair Contreras thanked delegates for helping to achieve the objectives of the session, and closed the meeting at 5:12 pm. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from UNCCD CRIC 17. The summary and analysis report is available in HTML and PDF. In her final remarks as Executive Secretary of the UNCCD, Monique Barbut said during her time at the UNCCD the Convention became “something worth hearing about” and managed to get things done despite a “tiny budget." Rapporteur Anna Luise presented the Report of the Meeting. Belarus made a closing statement on behalf of Annex V (Central and Eastern Europe) countries. One of the exhibition stands at the Green Guyana Exposition. The CRIC 17 ENB team L-R: Wangu Mwangi; Suzi Malan; and Dina Hestad