Children and Youth

On Wednesday, the 2016 meeting of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) started with panel discussions on “Creating ownership at the national level” and “Mainstreaming SDGs into national policies, plans and strategies and integrating the three dimensions of sustainable development” in the morning. In the afternoon, discussions took place on “Vertical cooperation – local authorities and national governments working together for implementation of the 2030 Agenda” and “Challenges in mobilizing means of implementation at the national level (Financing, Technology, Capacity building).” IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily reports, daily web coverage and a summary and analysis from HLPF 2016, which is available in HTML and PDF format. Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Creating ownership at the national level Panel speakers for the session on creating ownership at the national level Frederick Musiiwa Makamure Shava, Permanent Representative of Zimbabwe to the UN and Vice President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Jessica Espey, Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Louis Meuleman, University of Massachusetts, Boston Ivane Shamugia, Administration of the Government of Georgia Adolfo Ayuso, Office of the President, Mexico Annika Lindblom, Counsellor to the Ministry of the Environment, Finland Gomer Padong, Philippine Social Enterprise Network (PhilSEN) Yonglong Lu, Chinese Academy of Sciences Sunita Kotnala, Women's Major Group Jiten Yumnam, Indigenous Peoples Major Group Mainstreaming SDGs into national policies, plans and strategies and integrating the three dimensions of sustainable development View of the panel during the session Chair Sven Jürgenson, Permanent Representative of Estonia to the UN and Vice President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Nick Ishmael Perkins, SciDev.net Joseph Enyimu, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Uganda Koichi Aiboshi, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan Wardarina, Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development and Co-Chair of Asia Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism Eili Lepik, Government Office, Estonia Izzet Ari, Environment and Sustainable Development at the Ministry of Development, Turkey Stine Lise Hattestad Bratsberg, PURE Consulting Olivier Brochenin, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development, France Mohammed Aliyu, Nigeria Vertical cooperation – local authorities and national governments working together for implementation of the 2030 Agenda Panel speakers for the session on vertical cooperation – local authorities and national governments working together for implementation of the 2030 Agenda Kadir Topbaş, Mayor of Istanbul, Turkey Peter Wollaert, UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Patrícia Iglecias, State Secretary for Environment, São Paulo, Brazil Stephan Contius, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany Hyuk-Sang Sohn, Kyung Hee University Paddy Torsney, Office of the Inter-Parliamentary Union to the UN Rosemarie Edillon, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Philippines Allan Bird, Papua New Guinea Dalia Marques, Major Group for Children and Youth Leida Rijnhout, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) Major Group Challenges in mobilizing means of implementation at the national level Delegates attend the session on challenges in mobilizing means of implementation at the national level - financing, technology and capacity building Macharia Kamau, Co-Chair, Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Forum Chair Héctor Alejandro Palma Cerna, Deputy Permanent Representative of Honduras to the UN and Vice President of ECOSOC Felipe Castro, Inter-Institutional Commission for the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda, Colombia Manuel Montes, South Centre Paulo Gadelha, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Paul Gulleik Larsen, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway Mawussi Djossou Semondji, Expert Minister to the Presidency of Togo Chengyong Sun, Ministry of Science and Technology, China David O’Connor, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Christo Janse van Noordwyk, South Africa Around the Venue Delegates gather for the third day of the 2016 HLPF Delegates from Palau and Pakistan Delegates from China confer with the Secretariat Delegates meet informally throughout the day Ouinibani Konate, Burkina Faso Kadir Topbaş, Mayor of Istanbul, Turkey Delegates pose with their favourite SDGs Delegates read the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) to review yesterday's proceedings Around the UN Headquarters

The second day of the 2016 meeting of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) continued with two panel discussions related to the theme of “Ensuring that no one is left behind” in the morning. Discussions took place on “Food security and sustainable agriculture, climate action, sustainable oceans and terrestrial ecosystems – adopting a nexus approach” and “Creating peaceful and more inclusive societies and empowering women and girls.” In the afternoon, a discussion took place on “Science-policy interface: New ideas, insights and solutions.” IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily reports, daily web coverage and a summary and analysis from HLPF 2016, which is available in HTML and PDF format. Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Food security and sustainable agriculture, climate action, sustainable oceans and terrestrial ecosystems – adopting a nexus approach Panelists for the session on food security and sustainable agriculture, climate action, sustainable oceans and terrestrial ecosystems – adopting a nexus approach Chair Sven Jürgenson, Permanent Representative of Estonia to the UN and Vice President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Ronald Jumeau, Ambassador for Climate Change and Small Island Developing State Issues, Seychelles Omoyemen Lucia Odigie-Emmanuel, Centre for Human Rights and Climate Change Research Deborah Fulton, Committee on World Food Security (CFS) Jake Rice, Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), Canada Abdullah K. Tawlah, Saudi Arabia Evelyn Nguleka, World Farmers' Organization (WFO) Rodrigo Messias, Local Authorities Major Group Frances Zainoeddin, Stakeholder Group on Ageing Mariyam Midhfa Naeem, Maldives, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Creating peaceful and more inclusive societies and empowering women and girls Panel speakers for the session on creating peaceful and more inclusive societies and empowering women and girls Irene Khan, International Development Law Organization (IDLO) Jürg Lauber, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the UN and Vice President of ECOSOC Lakshmi Puri, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women Robert Berg, Alliance for Peacebuilding Beatrice Ayuru, Lira Integrated School Gaia Gozzo, CARE International Anca-Ruxandra Gliga, United Network of Young Peacebuilders and Major Group for Children and Youth Rebecca Anna Reichherzer, Denmark Josefina Valencia Toledano, Womens Major Group Maria Cramér, Sweden Pragashnie Adurthy, South Africa Science-policy interface - new ideas, insights and solutions Delegates gather for the session on the science-policy interface - new ideas, insights and solutions Chair Héctor Alejandro Palma Cerna, Deputy Permanent Representative of Honduras to the UN and Vice President of ECOSOC Wu Hongbo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs William Colglazier, American Association for the Advancement of Science Lucilla Spini, International Council for Science (ICSU) Guéladio Cissé, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) Aurélien Decamps, Kedge Business School Patrick Paul Walsh, University College Dublin Donovan Guttieres, Global Youth Partnership for the SDGs Peter Messerli, University of Bern Ambrose Murangira, Stakeholder Group for Persons with Disabilities, uses sign language for his intervention Martin Krause, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Annika Lindblom, Finland "Town Hall" Debate with Candidates for UN Secretary-General Hall The first-ever "town hall" debate with candidates for the UN Secretary-General took place in the UN General Assembly The live debate was broadcasted by Al Jazeera UN Secretary-General Candidates (L-R): Natalia Gherman, Moldova; Vuk Jeremić, Serbia; Susana Malcorra, Argentina; António Guterres, Portugal; and Vesna Pusić, Croatia UN Secretary-General Candidates (L-R): Irina Bokova, Bulgaria; Igor Lukšić, Montenegro; Christiana Figueres, Costa Rica; Danilo Türk, Slovenia; and Helen Clark, New Zealand Around the Venue Delegates gather for the second day of the 2016 HLPF Delegates confer before the start of plenary Delegates meet informally between sessions Paula Caballero Gómez, World Bank Federica Pietracci, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) Women's Major Group members distributed red scarves as a reminder of the need for women and girls empowerment Around the UN Headquarters

The 2016 meeting of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) opened on Monday, 11 July 2016, at UN Headquarters in New York. Following an opening plenary, the first day started with a session on “Where do we stand at year one” of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted at the UN Sustainable Development Summit on 25 September 2015. This was followed by three sessions related to the 2016 HLPF theme of “Ensuring that no one is left behind,” on: “Envisioning an inclusive world in 2030”; “Lifting people out of poverty and addressing basic needs”; and “Fostering economic growth, prosperity, and sustainability.” IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily reports, daily web coverage and a summary and analysis from HLPF 2016, which is available in HTML and PDF format. Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Opening Plenary Delegates during the opening session Oh Joon, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the UN and President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Wu Hongbo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Session 1: Where do we stand at year one? Panelists for Session 1: Where do we stand at year one? Christiana Figueres, former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Moderator Paula Caballero Gomez, World Bank Debapriya Bhattacharya, Centre for Policy Dialogue Martin Tsounkeu, Africa Development Interchange Network (ADIN) José María Viera, World Blind Union (WBU) Oriana López Uribe, Women's Major Group Macharia Kamau, Kenya Joy Aguilar, Major Group for Children and Youth Session 2: Envisioning an inclusive world in 2030 Panelists for Session 2: Envisioning an inclusive world in 2030 Ion Jinga, Permanent Representative of Romania to the UN and Chair of the 54th session of the Commission for Social Development Moderator Lisa Foster, US Department of Justice Alvaro Esteban Pop Ac, Chair of the 15th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) Onalenna Selolwane, Mosadi Khumo Socio-Economic Empowerment Forum for Women Ibrahim Ismail Abdallah, Arab Organization of Persons with Disability (AOPD) Uchita de Zoysa, Sri Lanka Anna Ballance, EU Chair Héctor Alejandro Palma Cerna, Deputy Permanent Representative of Honduras to the UN and Vice President of ECOSOC Session 3: Lifting people out of poverty and addressing basic needs Panelists for Session 3: Lifting people out of poverty and addressing basic needs Alice Albright, Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Moderator Sarina Prabasi, WaterAid America  Michael Park, Aspen Institute Chair Sven Jürgenson, Permanent Representative of Estonia to the UN and Vice President of ECOSOC Cristina Diez, International Movement ATD Fourth World Xie Zhangwei, China José De Souza, Benin Rajul Pandya-Lorch, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Grace Balawag, Indigenous Peoples Major Group Carla Mucavi, Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN (FAO) Session 4: Fostering economic growth, prosperity, and sustainability Panelists for Session 4: Fostering economic growth, prosperity, and sustainability  Tim Jackson, Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP) Moderator Vinicius Pinheiro, International Labour Organization (ILO)  Bart Verspagen, UN University – Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT) Wellington Chibebe, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Dyborn Chibonga, National Smallholder Farmers' Association of Malawi (NASFAM) Around the Venue Delegates watch discussions from the balcony A string quartet welcomes delegates to the meeting Christiana Figueres, former Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC Delegates meet before the start of the session Delegates meet informally throughout the day Around the UN Headquarters

The first annual Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI Forum) for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) convened by the President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), concluded its work on Tuesday at UN Headquarters in New York. During the day, representatives of UN Member States and Major Groups and Other Stakeholders heard presentations from panelists and engaged in an interactive dialogue on four topics: Creating shared value: How do we make it work? Ministerial Dialogue: Towards a roadmap of effective science, technology and innovation policy frameworks The Experience of Youth in using Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development The Way Forward: Adding Value through the Science, Technology and Innovation Forum In the closing session, Co-Chair Macharia Kamau (Kenya) said we will have to work harder over the next few months to maximize the potential of this Forum over the next 14 years, including through intersessional interactions, given the huge agenda ahead. He expressed hope that the Forum will be able to feed into the work of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). Co-Chair Vaughan Turekian (US) said that achieving the SDGs requires better integration of science, technology and innovation, involving a vast number of stakeholders. STI enabling environments are critical to achieve the SDGs over the next 14 years, he added. This STI Forum is “testable,” like scientific inquiry, and can be improved over time, he concluded. ECOSOC President Oh Joon said it is time to make the Technology Facilitation Mechanism operational and beneficial for all, and called for everyone’s continued cooperation to mobilize great minds and build lasting partnerships. He said we need to strengthen STI capacity in every country, create innovative knowledge societies that use scientific evidence to inform policy, make advances that greatly facilitate technology transfer and diffusion, and support social technologies to change mindsets and behaviors. ECOSOC President Oh Joon closed the Forum at 5:45 pm. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web updates and a summary report from the 1st annual Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum). Our summary report is available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Pam Chasek For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Session 5: Creating Shared Value: How Do We Make It Work? Moderator Romain Murenzi, 10-Member Group for the Technology Facilitation Mechanism Alexis Bonnell, Global Innovation Exchange, USAID Tolullah Oni, Next Einstein Fellow Lynn St. Amour, President and CEO of Internet Matters Zitouni Ould-Dada, United Nations Environment Programme Gary Fowlie, International Telecommunications Union Till Zbiranski, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Norine Kennedy, US Council for International Business Lydia Cumiskey, Major Group for Children and Youth Haidar Fraihat, UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia Session 6: Ministerial Dialogue: Towards a Roadmap of Effective Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Frameworks Session 6 Panel (L-R): Megan Smith, United States Chief Technology Officer; STI Forum Co-Chair Vaughan Turekian, Science and Technology Adviser to the US Secretary of State; STI Forum Co-Chair Macharia Kamau, Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations; Under-Secretary-General Wu Hongbo, Department of Economic and Social Affairs; and Ligia Amada Melo de Cardona, Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology, Dominican Republic. Under-Secretary-General Wu Honbgo, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs Megan Smith, United States Chief Technology Officer Joe Mucheru, Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology, Kenya Ligia Amada Melo de Cardona, Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology, Dominican Republic Dong Wu, UN Conference on Trade and Development Marcela Angulo González, CORFO-Chilean Economic Development Agency Asher Lessels, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Ambassador Wu Haitao, China Naoto Kanehira, World Bank Session 7: The Experience of Youth in Using Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development Moderator Elenita Daño, Asia Director, Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration (ETC Group) Hannah Herbst, 2015 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge winner David Moinina Sengeh, Co-founder, Global Minimum Inc. and 2014 TED Fellow Gusti Ayu Fransiska Dewi, Co-founder of Asia Pacific Youth Network on Climate Change and Field Coordinator, Climate for Rainforest Alliance Linda Staheli, Founder and Executive Director, Global Co Lab Network Mikaela Preston, University of Pennsylvania Anthony Rock, President and CEO, Association of Science and Technology Centers Session 8: The Way Forward: Adding Value through the Science, Technology and Innovation Forum (L-R): STI Co-Chair Vaughan Turekian, US; STI Co-Chair Macharia Kamau, Kenya; and ECOSOC President Oh Joon Benedicto Fonseca Filho, Vice-Chair of the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development Heide Hackmann, Co-Chair, 10-Member Group for the Technology Facilitation Mechanism

The second UN Environment Assembly of the UN Environment Programme (UNEA-2) continued into the early hours of Saturday, 28 May 2016 in Nairobi, Kenya, after a full day of negotiations and other events on Friday. A ministerial policy review session took place in the morning, in which ministers were presented with the findings of the “Healthy Environment, Healthy People” report, a joint effort of several organizations, including the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Secretariat. Ministers and other high-level delegates proceeded to discuss the topic in two parallel roundtables before lunchtime. Drafting groups worked through the day to finalize the text of all resolutions. In the COW closing plenary, delegates accepted the package of resolutions, including resolutions on the UNEP Medium-Term Strategy, Programme of Work and budget. They agreed to change the UNEA cycle so that future meetings will take place in odd, not even, years, with the next meeting to take place in late 2017. Delegates forwarded the package to the UNEA-2 plenary for adoption. In a late-night session, UNEA-2 accepted a package of 24 resolutions and 2 decisions. Delegates debated whether to put a G-77/China-sponsored resolution on “Field-based environment assessment of the Gaza strip” (UNEP/EA.2/CRP.6) to a vote. 11:20 pm Israel calls for a vote. 11:30 pm Syria calls for a motion of “no action.” 11:57 pm Plenary suspended to allow parties to consult. 12:31 am Plenary resumes. 12: 35 am G-77/China announces the draft resolution will not be withdrawn. 12:53 am UNEA-2 Chair invites delegates to vote on whether they wish to proceed to a substantive vote on the Gaza resolution. Brazil and Syria raise points of order. 12:57 am Delegates vote by holding up pink cards. Many abstain. 1:00 am Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director, announces results of the procedural vote: 36 in favour, 4 against, and 35 abstentions. He explains that UNEA requires a quorum of 97 for the result to be valid, and the quorum has not been reached in this case. 1:20 am Egypt questions interpretation of quorum rule. Secretariat apologizes for misinterpretation and says there are sufficient numbers to proceed. US disagrees, moves to suspend the session in the absence of a quorum. 1:45 am Plenary comes to a halt as delegates discuss the status of the meeting on the sidelines. 1:59 am UNEA-2 President calls for a Bureau meeting, asks delegates to remain in the room meanwhile. 2:27 am #UNEA2 Bureau returns to the room. Secretariat to conduct a roll call to check if there is a quorum present. 2:55 am Roll call shows 78 members present. One-third needed to have a legal session. But majority must be here to proceed to a vote. #UNEA2 2:59 am #UNEA2 President calls to adjourn the session, suggest to reconvene 11 am Saturday 28 May. 3:11 am Delegates consider proposal to reconvene. Egypt and Pakistan, question legal status of meeting. Colombia, EU, Ukraine and others express appreciation to all for the hard work done this week, and the agreement on 25 resolutions at UNEA-2. 3:49 am UNEA-2 President notes overwhelming support to close the session rather than reconvening. Many delegates welcome the 24 resolutions previously adopted. Rapporteur presents report of the meeting. 3:56 am #UNEA2 adopts meeting report, President gavels the meeting to a close. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has published a briefing note for the GMGSF 2016 and provided daily web coverage, daily reports from the UNEA-2. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a summary and analysis report from this meeting, which is available in HTML and PDF format. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. MINISTERIAL POLICY REVIEW SESSION “HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT, HEALTHY PEOPLE” L-R: Andy Haines, Professor of Public Health and Primary Care, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK; Mary Robinson, Former President of Ireland and President of the Mary Robinson Foundation; Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director; Edgar Gutiérrez Espeleta, President of UNEA-2 and Jorge Laguna-Celis, Secretary of the Governing Bodies, UNEP Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Mary Robinson, Former President of Ireland and President of the Mary Robinson Foundation Video message by Margaret Chan, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO) Andy Haines, Professor of Public Health and Primary Care, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK L-R: Barbara Pompili, Minister of State for Biodiversity, France, and Jean-Patrick Le Duc, France MINISTERIAL ROUNDTABLE 1 View of the room of the Ministerial Roundtable 1 Co-Chairs of Roundtable 1, Daniel Ortega Pacheco, Minister of Environment, Ecuador, and Masoumeh Ebtekar, Vice President of Iran and Head of the Environmental Protection Organization Leonardo Trasande, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, US Omar Abdi, Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Secretary, UNICEF Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Christine Dawson and Daniel Reifsnyder, US Mustafa Satilmiş, Turkey Cristina Tirado - von der Pahlen, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Aminiasi Qareqare, Fiji L-R: Cristina Romanelli and Amy Fraenkel, CBD MINISTERIAL ROUNDTABLE 2 L-R: Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany; Edna Molewa, Minister of Environmental Affairs, South Africa; and Jamil Ahmad, Deputy Director, UNEP Office in New York Jane Nishida, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency, US, and Chair of the Advisory Group of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint Yannick Glemarec, UN Women Tina Birmpili, Executive Secretary, Ozone Secretariat Delegates from Senegal Chencho Norbu, Bhutan Johanita Ndahimananjara, Minister of Environment, Ecology and Forests, Madagascar Rachid Firadi, Morocco Thoriq Ibrahim, Minister of Energy and Environment, Maldives Eleanor Parkes, Aotearoa Youth Leadership Institute, speaking on behalf of Children and Youth Major Group Mariano Castro, Vice-Mnister for Environmental Management, Ministry of Environment, Peru Delegates from China MULTI-STAKEHOLDER DIALOGUE View of the multi-stakeholder dialogue on "Restoring and sustaining healthy ecosystems for people and planet: partnerships to jointly deliver on the environmental dimension of Agenda 2030" L-R: Dialogue moderators, Andrew Steer, CEO, World Resources Institute (WRI), and Sharon Sharon Dijksma, State Secretary of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, the Netherlands Mark Halle, Director of Trade and Investment, International Institute for Sustainable Development Joan Carling, Secretary-General, Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact Antonio Herman Benjamin, Justice of the National High Court, Brazil Jan-Gustav Strandenaes, Stakeholder Forum O. C. Z. Muchinguri, Minister of Environment, Water and Climate, Zimbabwe John Scanlon, Secretary-General, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Participants from Major Groups and Stakeholders L-R: Andrea Reimer, Councilor, City of Vancouver, Canada, and Yunus Arikan, ICLEI COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE (COW) L-R: Ibrahim Thiaw, Deputy Executive Director, UNEP; COW Chair Idunn Eidheim, Norway; Tim Kasten, UNEP; and Masa Nagai, UNEP COW Chair Idunn Eidheim, Norway Hushan Al-Fityan, Rapporteur Yahel Vilan, Israel Drafting Group 1 Co-Chair Tita Korvenoja, Finland Drafting Group 2 Co-Chair Pedro Escosteguy Cardoso, Brazil Drafting Group 3 Co-Chair Corinna Enders, Germany UNEA-2 PLENARY L-R: Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director; Edgar Gutiérrez Espeleta, President of UNEA-2 and Jorge Laguna-Celis, Secretary of the Governing Bodies, UNEP Delegates from Arab States in informal consultations Masoumeh Ebtekar, Vice President of Iran and Head of the Environmental Protection Organization Voting flags being distributed in plenary Masa Nagai, Senior Legal Advisor, UNEP, confers with UNEA-2 Secretariat on Rules of Procedure.

On Monday, 25 April 2016, the Habitat III Open-Ended Informal Consultative Meeting commenced at UN Headquarters in New York. The opening session included remarks by the Habitat III Secretary-General Joan Clos, who stressed the importance of multi-stakeholder input into the zero draft of Habitat III. This was followed by a synopsis of the key recommendations and information on the development of the zero draft and a general exchange of views. Panelists outlined expert input from the thematic and regional processes, stressing that these need to be translated into an actionable New Urban Agenda. During discussions, parties and observer organizations addressed: the relationship between the New Urban Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR); and the role of governance in addressing challenges, such as responding to climate change and achieving sustainable urban environments. In the afternoon, the meeting considered regional presentations on recommendations, expectations and potentials from the Habitat III regional meetings. Reports were heard from the regional preparatory meetings, including: Asia-Pacific, in October 2015, in Jakarta, Indonesia; Africa, in February 2016, in Abuja, Nigeria; Europe, in March 2016, in Prague, Czech Republic; and Latin America and the Caribbean, in April 2016, in Toluca, Mexico. Discussions addressed, inter alia: the roles of local authorities in urban sustainability; the need for a strong follow-up and review mechanism for the New Urban Agenda; that all regions emphasized the need for an action-oriented agenda; the need for integrated, participatory and people-oriented approaches; and including issues of the informal sector and the challenges posed by mass migration. During the day, many welcomed the open and participatory nature of the regional processes. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, is providing web coverage from the Habitat III Open-Ended Informal Consultative Meetings. In addition, IISD Reporting Services, has published a summary report from the meetings, which is availabe in HTML and PDF format. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Opening Plenary L-R: Kumaresh Misra, UN HABITAT; Joan Clos, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, UN HABITAT; Deputy Permanent Representative Helena Yáñez, Ecuador; Habitat III Co-Chair Maryse Gautier, France; Sonia Elliot, Secretary to Habitat III Joan Clos, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, UN HABITAT Habitat III Co-Chair Maryse Gautier, France Deputy Permanent Representative Helena Yáñez, Ecuador View of the plenary Abdel Walendom, Secretary General, Ministry of Land Management, Urbanism and Habitat, Chad Francesco Bandarin, Assistant Director-General for Culture, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Nelson Junior Sale, Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, Brazil Rüdiger Ahrend, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Le-Yin Zhang, University College London, UK Thanavon Pamaranon, Thailand, on behalf of G-77/China Mandiaye Ndiaye, Senegal Lucianara Andrade Fonseca, Brazil Chandana Das, Youth for Unity and Voluntary Action, on behalf of Children and Youth Masaaki Nakagawa, Japan Nancy Stetson, US Marit Viktoria Pettersen, Norway Tobias Ogweno, Kenya Danielle Larrabee, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) L-R: Habitat III Co-Chair Maryse Gautier, France, consulting with Sonia Elliot, Secretary to Habitat III Karla Šlechtová, Minister of Regional Development, Czech Republic Anthony Bosah, Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the UN Lana Winayanti, Senior Expert to the Minister, Ministry of Public Works and Housing, Indonesia Eruviel Ávila Villegas, Governor, State of Mexico, Mexico Shipra Narang Suri, ISOCARP, on behalf of the General Assembly of Partners (GAP) Relinda Melania Sosa Pérez, Huairou Commission, on behalf of Women and Gender Martha Mutizhe Kangwa, Zambia Hirotaka Koike, UN Major Group for Children and Youth Isabel Cavelier Adarve, Colombia Li Zhe, China Abdullah Abu Shawesh, State of Palestine Isabelle Delattre, EU William Jiyana, South Africa Eruviel Ávila Villegas, Governor, State of Mexico, Mexico, delivering his closing remarks L-R: Deputy Permanent Representative Helena Yáñez, Ecuador; Joan Clos, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, UN HABITAT; and Eruviel Ávila Villegas, Governor, State of Mexico, Mexico