Negotiating Bloc
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Highlights and images for 21 June 2018
ICP-19
On Thursday morning, delegates at the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-19) resumed discussions.
On inter-agency cooperation and coordination, delegates heard from Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Counsel, in his capacity as the UN-Oceans Focal Point, on progress of work under UN-Oceans. He highlighted the UN-Oceans voluntary commitment process, launched at the 2017 Ocean Conference, to raise awareness of relevant regulatory and policy frameworks and members activities for conserving and sustainably using oceans and their resources and advancing work under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14. Delegates briefly discussed issues related to development of the SDG 14 indicators.
Delegates also received an update on the financial status of the Voluntary Trust Fund from UNDOALOS Director Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli who reiterated the need for replenishment of the Fund.
Delegates completed the general exchange of views that began on Monday morning before considering the process for the selection of topics and panelists, and issues that could benefit from further consideration under the UN General Assembly on ocean affairs and the Law of the Sea.
The meeting then adjourned to provide time for the Co-Chairs and Secretariat to prepare the draft Co-Chairs’ summary to be reviewed by delegates on Friday.
IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily digital coverage from the 19th Meeting of the UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea. In addition IISD Reporting Services has published a summary and analysis report from the meeting, which is available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Diego Noguera
For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page
Plenary
The dais during Thursday’s proceedings
Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel
Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UNDOALOS
Elizabeth Phelps, US
John Brincat, EU
Frank Thomsen, Central Dredging Association (CEDA), and Rebecca Lent, International Whaling Commission (IWC)
Stefan Micallef, International Maritime Organization (IMO)
L-R: Elizabeth Phelps, US; Nathan Merchant, Centre for the Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture, United Kingdom; and Howard Rosenbaum, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
John Brincat, EU, and Herlinde Vanhoutte, Belgium
Larisa Chernysheva, Russian Federation, and Mirela Pascaru, Romania
Nicolas Entrup, OceanCare, and Mark Tasker, International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES)
Kirstie Knowles, New Zealand, and John Bennett, American Society of International Law (ASIL)
Delegates share a laugh at the end of Thursday’s proceedings
L-R: Kirstie Knowles, New Zealand; G. Latha, India; and Lora Nordtvedt Reeve, OceanCare
Maggie Carey and Kevin Chand, Maldives
Delegates from France
Delegates from the Alliance of Small Island States
Around the UN
Summary report 21 June 2018
High Seas, What’s at Stake?
Highlights and images for 20 June 2018
ICP-19
The nineteenth meeting of the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-19) resumed on Wednesday, 20 June 2018, at UN Headquarters in New York. In morning and afternoon sessions, panel discussions continued to focus on cooperation and coordination in addressing anthropogenic underwater noise.
In the morning session, panelists presented information on collaborative approaches to underwater noise, including on:
EU regional strategies, including its Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), which has “human-induced marine underwater noise” as part of a pollution definition;
The Impulsive Noise Registry by the Commission on the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR);
Addressing anthropogenic underwater noise through other relevant processes in the absence of specific national legislation;
A collaborative approach to assess vessel-noise impacts on Commerson’s dolphins in the Argentine Sea; and
A voluntary vessel slowdown trial in Canada within the endangered southern resident killer whale feeding area.
In the afternoon session, key points from presentations included:
A whale stranding event in Madagascar that helped identify gaps in knowledge, expertise, and legislation to investigate, evaluate or prevent noise pollution;
The Green Marine independent certification program with 124 participating countries that establishes performance indicators;
A review of key events and milestones for addressing ocean noise;
The role of industry in managing the impacts of underwater noise on marine life; and
The application of underwater sound for fish stock surveys.
During the lunch break, a side event, “Sonic Sea: Film screening and Q&A” was hosted by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily digital coverage from the 19th Meeting of the UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea. In addition IISD Reporting Services has published a summary and analysis report from the meeting, which is available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Diego Noguera
For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page
Morning Panel on “Cooperation and Coordination in Addressing Anthropogenic Underwater Noise”
Participants during the session
René Dekeling, European Commission
A slide from René Dekeling’s presentation
Nathan Merchant, Centre for the Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture, United Kingdom
A slide from Nathan Merchant’s presentation
Loúreene Jones, National Environment and Planning Agency, Jamaica
Ramona Sladic, Canada
Jonathan Vallarta, Mexico
Mariana Melcon, Fundación Cethus
A slide from Mariana Melcon’s presentation
Carrie Brown, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, Canada
A slide from Carrie Brown’s presentation
G. Latha, India
Michael Jasny, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
Stefan Micallef, International Maritime Organization (IMO)
Rebecca Lent, International Whaling Commission (IWC)
Martijn Peins and Sidney Kemble, the Netherlands
L-R: Rishy Bukoree, Mauritius; Michael Jasny and Lauren Kubiak, NRDC
Afternoon Panel on “Cooperation and Coordination in Addressing Anthropogenic Underwater Noise”
The dais during the session
René Dekeling, Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, the Netherlands
A slide from René Dekeling’s presentation
Véronique Nolet, Green Marine
A slide from Véronique Nolet’s presentation
Howard Rosenbaum, Wildlife Conservation Society
A slide from Howard Rosenbaum’s presentation
Frank Thomsen, Central Dredging Association (CEDA)
A slide from Frank Thomsen’s presentation
Mark Tasker, International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES)
A slide from Mark Tasker’s presentation
Frank Thomsen, CEDA
Ramona Sladic, Canada, and Brendan Burke, US
L-R: Amelia Faotusia, Tonga; Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson, ENB; Adi Talanaivini Mafi, Tonga; and Kevin Chand, the Malidves
Delegates from the Czech Republic and Japan check the ENB website
Around the UN
Highlights and images for 18 June 2018
ICP-19
The nineteenth meeting of the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-19) opened on 18 June 2018 at the UN Headquarters in New York, under the theme, “Anthropogenic underwater noise.” Delegates heard opening remarks from: Co-Chair Kornelios Korneliou (Cyprus) and Pennelope Althea Beckles (Trinidad and Tobago); Miguel de Serpa Soares, UN Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs; Elliott Harris, Assistant Secretary-General UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA); and Omar Hilale, Permanent Representative of Morocco.
During the general exchange of views, delegates highlighted, inter alia:
Impacts of underwater noise on marine biota;
Capacity building for identifying, measuring and addressing underwater marine noise;
Considering underwater noise as a form of marine pollution;
Guidelines for reducing underwater marine noise, including consideration of International Maritime Organization (IMO) guidelines for commercial shipping;
Relevance of the issue to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
Consideration of including ocean noise in the negotiations on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ);
Research and data gaps; and
Application of the precautionary approach.
In the afternoon, the ICP focused on sources and environmental socioeconomic impacts of underwater marine noise. Five presentations provided overviews on sound and its propagation through water; sounds from submarine cables and pipeline operations; shipping as a source of noise; offshore energy development; and sonar imaging and ocean mapping.
During ensuing discussions, delegates highlighted the “win-win” link between energy-efficiency improvements for ships and noise reductions; standardization of survey methodologies; and selection of ecologically sensitive areas for prioritizing solutions.
During the afternoon break, delegates attended a side event on “The Role of Environmental Impact Assessments in Managing the Impacts of Noise on Marine Food Web and Higher Trophic Levels.”
IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily digital coverage from the 19th Meeting of the UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea. In addition IISD Reporting Services has published a summary and analysis report from the meeting, which is available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Diego Noguera
For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page
Plenary
L-R: Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS); Elliott Harris, Assistant Secretary-General, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA); Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs; Omar Hilale, Vice-President of the UN General Assembly, Morocco; Co-Chair Kornelios Korneliou, Cyprus; Co-Chair Pennelope Althea Beckles, Trinidad and Tobago; Dmitry Gonchar, UNDOALOS; and Michele Ameri, UNDOALOS Secretariat
Co-Chair Kornelios Korneliou, Cyprus
Elliott Harris, Assistant Secretary-General, UNDESA
Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs
Omar Hilale, Vice-President of the UN General Assembly
Co-Chair Pennelope Althea Beckles, Trinidad and Tobago
Emad Morcos Mattar, Egypt
Amadou Jaiteh, The Gambia
Lachezara Stoeva, European Union (EU)
Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Peru
Rishy Bukoree, Mauritius
Panel Discussion on “Sources and Environmental and Socioeconomic Aspects of Anthropogenic Underwater Noise”
The dais during the afternoon panel
Lee Kindberg, Maersk Line
A slide from Lee Kindberg’s presentation
Jill Lewandowski, US Department of Interior
A slide from Jill Lewandowski’s presentation
Larry Mayer, University of New Hampshire
A slide from Larry Mayer’s presentation
Christopher Clark, Cornell University
Richard Hale, Director, EGS Survey Group
John Brincat, EU
Yasufumi Onishi, Japan
Ramona Sladic, Canada
Adrián Madirolas, Argentina
Rebecca Lent, International Whaling Commission
G. Latha, India
Delegates discussing informally
Around the Venue
Summary report 29–31 May 2018
1st Meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-Ended Expert Group on Marine Litter and Microplastics
Highlights and images for 14 May 2018
Special Session of the 2018 Vienna Energy Forum
The Special Session of the 2018 Vienna Energy Forum convened on Monday, 14 May, in plenary session and high-level roundtables with the participation of over 430 attendees. The Special Session breaks the bi-annual cycle of the Forum in order to provide feedback on SDG 7 (energy) to the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).
During the morning plenary, focusing on the transformation of energy systems, participants heard Jeremy Rifikin, Foundation on Economic Trends, describing the energy transition as humanity’s third economic revolution, which he said was founded on the convergence of decarbonization, decentralization and digitization of transport. Panelists discussed challenges and opportunities in several regions, including energy access, energy efficiency, the EU clean energy package, and private sector considerations.
In the first afternoon plenary, panelists addressed climate change and clean energy technology innovation, as well as how to empower and catalyze entrepreneurial eco-systems for climate innovation in developing countries. In the second plenary, focused on the role of partnerships in achieving development, panelists addressed, among others, interlinkages between different Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), regional initiatives and centers of excellence in the energy sector, and the role of donors.
The morning high-level roundtable focused on enhancing the participation of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups from developing countries in climate and clean energy technology and innovation markets. Participants discussed, among others, policy support needed to nurture SMEs, how to move from project-based to integrated approaches, how large companies can provide support for SMEs, and barriers for clean energy development.
In the afternoon, a roundtable heard from the clean energy centers of the Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres (GN-SEC) and other regional initiatives on the role of regional approaches to scaling up clean energy. The last roundtable addressed socio-economic impacts of low-carbon energy systems, finance, and the potential for clean energy to catalyze industrial transformation in developing countries.
In the high-level segment on powering innovation for prosperity, panelists reflected on national experiences, the effectiveness of policy instruments, and how the international community can help accelerate energy transitions. During the closing session participants heard about preparations for the SDG 7 review during the HLPF.
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, has provided digital coverage and a summary report from VEF 2018. The summary report is now available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis
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Opening Session
From L-R: Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA); Karin Kneissl, Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, Austria; Li Yong, Director-General, UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO); Marie Chatardová, President, UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC); and Abdelrahman Ayman Ibrahim, Global President, International Association of Students in Economic and Commercial Sciences (AIESEC)
Li Yong, Director-General, UNIDO
Marie Chatardová, President, ECOSOC
Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General, UN DESA
Karin Kneissl, Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, Austria
Abdelrahman Ayman Ibrahim, Global President, AIESEC
Li Yong, Director-General, UNIDO, with Abdul Hussain Ali Mirza, Minister of Electricity and Water Affairs, Bahrain
Rachel Kyte, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, with Abze Djigma, CEO, AbzeSolar
High-level Segment: Powering Innovation for Prosperity
Simon D’Ujanga, Minister of State for Energy and Mineral Development, Uganda
Waldemar Łagoda, Deputy Director of the Department of Energy, Ministry of Energy, Poland
Philippe Scholtès, Managing Director, Programme Development and Technical Cooperation, UNIDO
Abdul Hussain Ali Mirza, Minister of Electricity and Water Affairs, Bahrain
Dadan Kusdiana, Advisor to the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Indonesia
Plenary 1: Energy System Transformation: Opportunities and Challenges for Developing and Emerging Economies
From L-R: Jeremy Rifkin, President, Foundation on Economic Trends; Scott Foster, Director, Sustainable Energy Division, UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE); Mohamed Ali Alhakim, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary, UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA); Edu Willemse, Public Relations and Partnerships Manager, Energising Development (EnDev) program, GIZ; Rachel Kyte, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All; Lamberto Dai Pra, Head of Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Australia, Enel Green Power; and Megan Richards, Director of Energy Policy, Directorate-General for Energy, European Commission
Rachel Kyte, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All
Megan Richards, Director of Energy Policy, Directorate-General for Energy, European Commission
Scott Foster, Director, Sustainable Energy Division, UNECE
Jeremy Rifkin, President, Foundation on Economic Trends
Mohamed Ali Alhakim, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary, ESCWA
Lamberto Dai Pra, Head of Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Australia, Enel Green Power
Plenary 2: Climate and Clean Energy Technology and Innovation: Empowering and Catalyzing Entrepreneurial Eco-systems for Climate Innovation in Developing Countries
From L-R: Harish Hande, Chairman, SELCO India; Tadej Slapnik, State Secretary, Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister, Republic of Slovenia; Pavel Kabat, Director-General and CEO, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA); Stephan Sicars, Director, Department of Environment, UNIDO; Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); Howard Bamsey, Executive Director, Green Climate Fund (GCF); and Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
Howard Bamsey, Executive Director, GCF
Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General, WMO
Pavel Kabat, Director-General and CEO, IIASA, and Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary, UNFCCC
Harish Hande, Chairman, SELCO India
Tadej Slapnik, State Secretary, Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister, Republic of Slovenia
Stephan Sicars, Director, Department of Environment, UNIDO
Plenary 3: Delivering Prosperity through Partnerships: North-South and South-South Technology Cooperation
From L-R: Dirk Fransaer, Managing Director, Flemish Institute for Technological Research; André Faaij, Professor, University of Groningen; Robert Zeiner, Director of International Programmes and Projects, Austrian Development Agency; and Christine Lins, Co-Founder, Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition
Peter Traupmann, Managing Director, Austrian Energy Agency
Irene Giner-Reichl, President, Global Forum on Sustainable Energy
Alexandre Pinho, Global Lead for the UN, Microsoft
Round Table 1: Enhancing the Participation of SMEs and Start-ups from Developing Countries in the Growing Markets for Climate and Clean Energy Technology and Innovation
Nisha Pillai, International moderator and Journalist
Leena Srivastava, Vice-Chancellor and Professor, TERI University
Habiba Ali, Managing Director and CEO, Sosai Renewable Energies Company
Vijay Modi, The Earth Institute, Columbia University, and Dennis Pamlin, Senior Advisor, Research Institute Sweden
Faris Hasan, Director, OPEC Fund for International Development, and Paul S. Horwitz, Strategic Planning Consultant, Green Climate Fund
Round Table 2: A “New Deal” for Economies of Scale and Inclusiveness - The Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres (GN-SEC)
From L-R: Christine Lins, Co-Founder, Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition; Robert Zeiner, Director, Programmes and Projects International, Austrian Development Agency; Albert Binger, Secretary-General, Small Island Developing States Sustainable Energy and Climate Resilience International Organization; Tareq Emtairah, Director, Department of Energy, UNIDO; and Igor Barat, Director, European Regional Office, International Investment Bank
Solomone Fifita, Manager, Pacific Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
Radia Sedaoui, Chief Energy, UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
Mark Lister, Head, Copenhagen Centre on Energy Efficiency
Mahama Kappiah, Executive Director, ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, and Yan Huang, Deputy Chief Engineer, Chang Jiang Survey Planning Design Research Co., Ltd.
Berthold Breid, CEO, The Renewables Academy, and Benedikt Hoskuldsson, Partnerships Lead, Sustainable Energy for All
Round Table 3: Emerging Low-carbon Energy Systems as a Catalyst for Industrial Transformation in Developing Countries
From L-R: Miquel Muñoz Cabré, IISD; Cecilia, Ugaz Estrada, Director, Department of Policy Research and Statistics, UNIDO; Edu Willemse, Public Relations and Partnerships Manager, EnDev program, GIZ; Carsten Hellpap, Programme Manager, Energising Development Partnership, German Corporation for International Cooperation; and Tareq Emtairah, Director, Department of Energy, UNIDO
Rana Ghoneim and Mark Draeck, Energy and Climate Change Branch, UNIDO
Roberto Ridolfi, Special Advisor on Strategy and Financing Development, Food and Agriculture Organization, and Nebojsa Nakicenovic, Deputy Director-General and Deputy CEO, IIASA
Rana Adib, Executive Secretary, Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century, and Tarek Al-Amad, CEO, European Jordanian Renewable Energy Projects
Abze Djigma, CEO, AbzeSolar, and Scott Foster, Director, Sustainable Energy Division, UNECE
Closing Session
Tareq Emtairah, Director, Department of Energy, UNIDO
Minoru Takada, Team Leader (Sustainable Energy), Division for Sustainable Development Goals, UN DESA
Between Sessions
Summary report 14 May 2018
Special Session of the 2018 Vienna Energy Forum
Highlights and images for 11 May 2018
13th Session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF13)
The thirteenth session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF13) convened for its final day on Friday, 11 May 2018. Delegates considered the Chair's draft summary, which will be conveyed to the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) and encompasses UNFF13's input on Sustainable Development Goal 15 (life on land) and other forest-related SDGs. Delegates also reviewed a draft omnibus resolution on:
• Implementation of the UN Strategic Plan on Forests 2017-2030 (UNSPF);
• Monitoring, assessment and reporting (MAR);
• Means of implementation (MOI);
• UN system-wide contribution to the implementation of the UNSPF;
• Contribution of the Forum to the HLPF review in 2018;
• Preparations of for the HLPF review in 2019; and
• Information on UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) reform pertaining to UNFF.
Annexed to the resolution was the revised communications and outreach strategy, and the revised guidelines for operation of the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network (GFFFN) of the UNFF.
Informal consultations were held through the lunch break, after which a revised draft resolution was presented and approved with a minor amendment.
Delegates then addressed the remaining agenda items, including on emerging issues and challenges and the dates and venue for UNFF14. Following the adoption of the report of the session, and closing remarks, UNFF13 was closed at 4:53 pm.
Immediately following UNFF13, UNFF14 was opened with the sole purpose of electing the new UNFF Bureau. UNFF14 was suspended at 4:59 pm.
IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) meeting coverage, provided daily digital coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from UNFF13.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Ángeles Estrada Vigil
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Morning Session
Jorge Mario Rodríguez-Zúñiga, Costa Rica
Luca Arnold, EU
Michael Osakuade, Nigeria, for Africa Group
Victoire Ongmanong, Cameroon
Noyal Thomas, India
Dorji Rabten, Bhutan
Mohamed Ali Elhadi Ali, Sudan
Areg Gharabegian, Armenia
Hossein Moeini-Meybodi, UNFF Secretariat; Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob, UNFF13 Chair; and Moncef Khane, UNFF Secretary
Delegates during Informal Consultations
Clossing Session
L-R: Hossein Moeini-Meybodi, UNFF Secretariat; Manoel Sobral Filho, UNFF Director; Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob, UNFF13 Chair; and Moncef Khane, UNFF Secretary
Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob, UNFF13 Chair
Manoel Sobral Filho, UNFF Director
Moncef Khane, UNFF Secretary
Sibylle Vermont, Switzerland
Javad Momeni, Iran
Ian Naumkin, Russian Federation
UNFF13 Vice-Chair Luciana Melchert Saguas Presas
Catherine Karr-Colque, US
Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria
Khalid Cherki, Morocco
Around the Venue
Highlights and images for 10 May 2018
Bonn Climate Change Conference - April 2018
The Bonn Climate Change Conference ended on Thursday as each of the three bodies adopted conclusions for most of the issues on their agendas and agreed to future work, including at the next meeting in Bangkok, Thailand.
There were mixed views on progress made on the issues related to finalizing the Paris Agreement Work Programme (PAWP), the set of decisions that will help countries implement the Agreement. Some of the items discussed most in the closing statements were:
Transparency framework: There are different views on how the framework should help provide information on countries’ actions and support to developing countries, but many highlighted this issue as one needing further work.
Information on finance, especially provided by developed countries in advance of its provision: Many developing countries noted this issue is important to them in the overall PAWP package.
Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIP): Many countries and non-party stakeholders said they were disappointed with progress on this issue.
Action on Climate Empowerment (ACE): Parties agreed to a decision, the first issue completed in the PAWP, that will continue parties' and stakeholders' efforts on issues such as public participation, education, and access to information.
The PAWP is slated for conclusion in December 2018. At this meeting, parties agreed to several steps to move the work forward:
The Co-Chairs of all of the bodies will prepare a note that will consider all of the items and propose ways forward.
The Co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement (APA) will prepare a “tool” that will help parties develop an “agreed basis for negotiations.”
There will be an additional meeting in Bangkok devoted to the issues under the PAWP.
Parties adopted several decisions on issues related to the ongoing implementation of the UN Climate Change Convention and the Kyoto Protocol, including the Koronivia joint work programme on agriculture, which includes a roadmap outlining the issues, workshops, and inputs of the work programme.
IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily digital coverage, daily reports, daily videos, and a summary and analysis report from the Bonn Climate Change Conference - April/May 2018. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth
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SBI Closing Plenary
View of the dais during the SBI closing plenary
SBI Chair Emmanuel Dlamini, Swaziland
Vladimir Uskov, Russian Federation
Wang Tian, China
Ravi Prasad, India
Reinaldo Salgado, Brazil
Ziaul Haque, Bangladesh
Abdullah Tawlah, Saudi Arabia
Delegates from Switzerland
SBSTA Closing Plenary
View of the dais during the SBSTA closing plenary
SBSTA Chair Paul Watkinson, France
Henrik Eriksen, Norway
Walter Schuldt Espinel, Ecuador
Franz Perrez, Switzerland, speaking on behalf of the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG)
MJ Mace, Saint Lucia, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)
Iwaki Kohei, Japan
Catherine Stewart, Canada
Julio Cordano, Chile
APA Closing Plenary
View of the dais during the APA closing plenary
Ovais Sarmad, UNFCCC Deputy Executive Secretary
APA Co-Chairs Sarah Baashan, Saudi Arabia, and Jo Tyndall, New Zealand
Joint Closing Plenary
View of the dais during the closing plenary
UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa thanks Halldór Thorgeirsson, Senior Director for
Intergovernmental Affairs, UNFCCC, for almost two decades of service
Halldór Thorgeirsson, Senior Director for Intergovernmental Affairs, UNFCCC
Wael Aboulmagd, Egypt, speaking on behalf of the G-77/China
Boriana Kamenova, EU
Majid Shafie-Pour, Iran, speaking on behalf of the Like-minded Developing Countries (LMDCs)
Mohamed Nasr, Gabon, speaking on behalf of the African Group
María del Carmen Herrera Caseiro, Cuba, speaking on behalf of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA)
Patrick Suckling, Australia, speaking on behalf of the Umbrella Group
Harlino Nandha Prayudha, Youth NGOs (YOUNGOs)
Patricia Bohland, Women and Gender
Nathalie Rengifo, Climate Justice Now! (CJN!)
Around the Venue
Delegates from Austria
The SBI family
The SBSTA family
Delegates from Kuwait
Delegates from Morocco
Delegates from Kenya
Delegates from Kyrgyzstan
UN Security family photo
Ovais Sarmad, UNFCCC Deputy Executive Secretary (center), speaks with members of the UNFCCC Secretariat
Delegates from Maldives
The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) team meeting with UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa and Incoming COP 24 President Michal Kurtyka, Poland
Delegates between sessions
Media briefings took place throughout the day
The ENB team covering the negotiations (L-R): Rishikesh Ram Bhandary, Nepal; Katie Browne, US; Natalie Jones, New Zealand; Cleo Verkuijl, Zimbabwe/ the Netherlands; Jennifer Allan, Canada; Aaron Cosbey, Canada; Kati Kulovesi, Finland; Annelies van Gaalen, South Africa; Asheline Appleton, Kenya; Felipe Ruiz, Colombia/Spain; and Kiara Worth, South Africa