European Union

CGRFA 16 delegates met in plenary to continue discussing sectoral matters including: review of implementation of the second Global Plan of Action on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (GPA-PGR 2); preparation of the third report on the State of the World’s PGRFA (SOW-PGR 3); review of implementation of the GPA for the Conservation, Sustainable Use and Development of Forest Genetic Resources (GPA-FGR); and status of the Commission’s work on microorganisms and invertebrates. The contact group on access and benefit-sharing (ABS) met at lunchtime and in the evening to discuss intersessional work on ABS elements in agricultural subsectors. The Committee on the Strategic Plan and Multi-year Programme of Work 2018-2027 met in the evening. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided digital coverage and a summary report of the Special Event: The Contribution of Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture to Resilience. In addition, IISD Reporting Services produced daily reports, daily digital coverage, and a summary and analysis report from CGRFA 16. The summary and analysis report 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. Morning Plenary View of the dais during the morning plenary Cho Chang Yeon, CGRFA 16 Chair Chikelu Mba, FAO Flavia Zammit, Malta, speaking on behalf of the EU Tomotaro Nishikawa, Japan Seuseu Tauati, Samoa, speaking on behalf of the Southwest Pacific Christina Blank, Switzerland Hussein Al Zubi, Syria Delegates raise their placard to speak Michael Halewood, Bioversity International Mayra Caldera, US Hamad Saket Al-Shamari, Qatar Chaouki Alfaiz, Morocco Svanhild-Isabelle Batta Torheim, Norway Mahaman Mourtala Issa Zakari, Niger Kuldeep Singh, India Afternoon Plenary View of the dais during the afternoon plenary Médi Moungui, Cameroon Johanna Wider, Germany Sibidou Sina, Chair, Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Forest Genetic Resources (ITWG-FGR) Jarkko Koskela, FAO Larissa Maria Lima Costa, Brazil Thembinkosi Gumedze, Swaziland Kalaya Boonyanuwat, Thailand Cesar Tapia, Ecuador Antonio Gonzalez, International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty Kim van Seeters, the Netherlands, speaking on behalf of the European Regional Group Dickson Nguni, Zambia Ji Hee Jeong, Korea   Lala Aimé Razafinjara, Madagascar Afaf Abdelrahim Elgozouli, Sudan Informal Consultations Throughout the Day Contact Group on Access and Benefit-Sharing for Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture The Committee on the Strategic Plan and Multi-year Programme of Work 2018-2027 Delegates huddle to discuss matters informally Side Events During the Day Delegates attend a side event entitled 'Strengthening women’s capacity in biodiversity and nutrition through farmer field schools' Delegates attend a side event entitled 'Access and benefit-sharing of animal genetic resources: community protocols and other perspectives' Around the Venue Delegates from Canada, Argentina and Germany speak in the corridors Delegates speak informally Delegates attend the launch of a photography exhibition hosted by Malta in celebration of the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the European Union at the FAO

On Friday, 20 January 2017, the UN Forum on Forests concluded Working Group discussions at UN Headquarters in New York City, and in a Special Session adopted the UN’s first strategic plan for the world’s forests. In the morning, following informal negotiations that went until 3:30 am the night before, delegates returned to discuss a revised proposal for the quadrennial Programme of Work 2017-2020 (4POW). In the afternoon, delegates resumed discussions on the Strategic Plan, to finalize the global forest goals and targets, implementation framework, review framework, and the communication and outreach strategy. Some of the issues discussed included how to refer to the Global Environment Facility, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and new indicative thematic areas for actions. The Working Group reached consensus on all elements of the Strategic Plan and the 4POW and concluded at 6:05 pm. Immediately following this, a Special Session of the UNFF was held, and the report of the UNFF Working Group and the draft Report of the Forum at its Special Session was adopted. UNFF12 Chair Peter Besseau closed the meeting at 6:15 pm. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily web updates from the UNFF Working Group and Special Session. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a summary and analysis report of this event, which is available in HTML and PDF. Luca Perez, EU, suggested additional thematic areas for the Programme of Work, including biodiversity, sustainable consumption and production, energy. Christoph Dürr, Switzerland Delegates confer Delegates follow on-screen editing of the draft Strategic Plan on Forests. Manoel Sobral Filho, Director, UNFF Secretariat, gavels the Working Group to a close. Manoel Sobral Filho, Director, UNFF Secretariat, gives the floor to UNFF12 Chair Besseau The delegation from Papua New Guinea (L-R) Dambis Kaip and Fred Sarufa Co-Chair Mohammad Ali Zarie Zare, Iran and Hans Hoogeveen, the Netherlands

On Tuesday, 17 January 2017, a Working Group of the UN Forum on Forests continued discussions at UN Headquarters in New York City, focused on drafting a Strategic Plan and Programme of Work for the next four years. The Working Group aspires to reach consensus on these documents by the end of the week, so that they can be adopted at a special session on Friday, 20 January, to be considered at the 12th session of UNFF, to be held in May 2017. In the morning, delegates discussed the Programme of Work for 2017-2020, including themes for upcoming UNFF sessions, intersessional work, and financing. A revised text was circulated at lunch, and delegates met within regional groups for discussion. In the afternoon, delegates resumed discussion on the Strategic Plan, with a focus on Global Forest Goals. Translation services ended at 6:00 pm, but delegates continued discussion in an informal capacity, tackling issues such as how to refer to indigenous peoples within the Global Forest Goals. Some delegates expressed concern that the document could become unwieldy if too many targets and thematic areas are included, and encouraged consolidation. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily web updates from the UNFF Working Group and Special Session. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a summary and analysis report of this event, which is available in HTML and PDF. Liubov Poliakova, Ukraine, requested including more information on work undertaken at the regional level. Markku Aho, Farmers and Small Forest Landowners, said including regional meetings in the 4POW would give opportunity for sharing experiences and best practice. Sibylle Vermont, Switzerland, requested a report of the Trust Fund be presented at each session. Javad Momeni, Iran, called for inclusion of resource mobilization to advance SFM and implementation of the Strategic Plan. Luca Perez, EU, called for aligning the priority thematic areas of discussion for each UNFF session with that year’s HLPF focus. Elias Sekaleli, Lesotho, suggested including progress reports within the 4POW on mobilization of forest finance from different resources particularly from G3FN. Adamou Ibro, Niger, suggested that the mission statement should consider “trees outside of forests.” Delegates conferred during the lunch break. Delegates queued eagerly to receive the revised draft text.

On Saturday, 17 December, Working Groups met in the morning to address outstanding items, including on the guidelines on prior informed consent and benefit-sharing from the use of traditional knowledge, and adopt their reports. An afternoon plenary addressed organizational matters and adopted decisions on all substantive agenda items. At 6 pm plenary was suspended to allow for the budget negotiations to conclude. It is expected to reconvene at 9:30 pm. Update 00:20 am: Budget negotiations continue, plenary to resume at 1:30 am Update 03:00 am: Plenary still awaits the outcome of budget negotiations Update 04:15 am: Plenary still waiting Update 04:50 am: Plenary resumes Update 05:03 am: Plenary was gavelled to a close IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports and a summary and analysis report from the UN Biodiversity Conference. The summary and analysis report is 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. Working Group I WG I Chair Mette Gervin Damsgaard (Denmark) at the conclusion of WG I deliberations Anna Takombwa, Zimbabwe Felipe Costa, Brazil Federico Galloni, Argentina Sepali De Silva, Dominica Yousef Al-Hafedh, Saudi Arabia Bongani Zipho Nkhabindze, Swaziland Christian Prip, Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI), Norway Mohamed Elmi Obsieh, Djibouti Delegates from Switzerland consulting L-R: Andy Stott and Holly Kelley-Weil, UK L-R: Wadzi Goredema-Mandivenyi and Natalie Feltman, South Africa L-R: Christine von Weizsäcker and Antje Lorch, ECOROPA Working Group II WG II Chair Malta Qwathekana (South Africa) at the conclusion of WG II deliberations Albun William Banye Lemnyuy, Cameroon Diego Pacheco Balanza, Bolivia Maria Eugenia Choque Quispe, UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) Mitzi Gurgel Valente da Costa, Brazil Delegates from Madagascar Participants from WG II consulting Asghar Mohammadi Fazel, Iran Amita Prasad, India Adem Bilgin, Turkey L-R: WG II Chair Malta Qwathekana (South Africa) and WG I Chair Mette Gervin Damsgaard (Denmark) Plenary CBD Executive Secretary Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias Rafael Pacchiano Alamán, COP 13 President Elizabeth Mrema, UNEP David Cooper, Deputy Executive Secretary, CBD Maria Luisa Angelica Del Rio Mispireta, Peru Fumiko Nakao, Japan Alexander Shestakov, the Russian Federation Habib Gademi, Dominica Rastislav Rybanič, EU Moustafa Mokhtar Ali Fouda, Egypt Lucy Mulenkei, International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity, (IIFB) José Luis Echeverría Tello, Guatemala Participants from the Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN) Cancun Children's Choir entertaining COP 13 participants Delegates from Africa consulting COP 13 Snapshots CBD Secretariat staff CBD Executive Secretary Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, with ENB/IISD Reporting Services team CBD Secretariat with UN and local staff Rafael Pacchiano Alamán, COP 13 President, enjoying the Mariachi entertainment while waiting for plenary to reconvene Traditional Mexican Mariachi band Delegates from Australia and New Zealand Delegates from Mexico Delegates from ETC Group, Econexus, Federation of German Scientists, and Friends of the Earth International