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Co-organized by the Non-communicable Diseases (NCD) Alliance, UN Development Programme (UNDP), World Health Organization (WHO), and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), the Planetary Health Dialogue aimed to support exchange between the environment and health communities on the linkage between climate change and NCDs, present existing and novel strategies to accelerate action towards planetary health, and identify windows of opportunity to implement measures across the two sectors.   View of the room during the dialogue   Highlights Climate change and air pollution are fundamental threats to security and health, with air pollution causing 7 million premature deaths annually worldwide. Governments should treat fossil fuels in the same way they treated tobacco – as the root cause of a global health crisis. While the linkages between climate change and health have been discussed for four decades, there are still too few policy makers that understand them sufficiently to take action. If we do not avert the climate crisis, malaria and other diseases caused by infectious agents will rapidly spread across the entire world as climate change makes earth less habitable for humans and more habitable for infectious agents. Todd Harper, President of the NCD Alliance, outlined health impacts of climate change and stated that air pollution is responsible for 7 million premature deaths annually worldwide. Noting that climate change and air pollution are fundamental health and security threats, he invited participants to share lessons learned on how to protect the planet and people at the nexus of environment and health. Panel Discussion Howard Frumkin, Head, Our Planet, Our Wealth Programme, Wellcome Trust, moderated a panel discussion on NCD and climate change. Tommy Remengesau Jr., President, Palau, explained how climate change is causing an obesity crisis in Palau because diminishing fish stocks are increasing the dependence of Palauans on less healthy imported food. He reported that Palau has set aside 70% of its exclusive economic zone as no-take zone to allow fish stocks to recover. Peter Eriksson, Minister of International Cooperation and Foreign Aid, Sweden, said that while the linkages between climate change and health have been discussed for four decades, there are still too few policy makers that understand them sufficiently to take action. Mandeep Dhaliwal, Director, HIV, Health, and Development, UN Development Programme (UNDP), called for more collaboration between UN organizations, highlighting UNDP’s work to help countries integrate health into their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement on climate change.  Agnés Soukat, Director for Health Systems, Governance and Financing, WHO, described the theory and practice of health taxes, calling them third-generation fiscal instruments that shape markets and change behavior rather than raising funds for government or redistributing income. Noting that health costs have been increasing faster than average GDP growth, she suggested that health taxes can both improve health and reduce costs caused by NCDs. Lourdes Sanchez, Policy Advisor, IISD, outlined the rationale for the report titled “Burning Problems, Inspiring Solutions: Sharing Lessons on action against tobacco and fossil fuels,” which argues that governments should treat fossil fuels in the same way they treated tobacco – as the root cause of a global health crisis. She explained that fossil fuels resemble tobacco in that they cause air pollution, involve global scale industries, and have similar addictive effects, noting that, like nicotine addiction, dependence on fossil fuels makes it difficult to reduce consumption. Tarek Ezzine, Liaison to Public Health, International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), said he believes that universal health coverage, halting climate change, and saving the environment can be achieved together because youth is beginning to demand radical change. He said he is supporting the inclusion of climate change in health curricula to enable him to become a socially responsible doctor. Josh Karliner, International Director of Program and Strategy, Health Care Without Harm, noted that the first report evaluating the carbon footprint of the health system revealed that if health care was a country, it would be the world’s fifth largest emitter. He underscored that the voice of health professionals and health students is essential in reducing the health system’s carbon footprint and helping address climate change. Participants discussed inter alia: the strong positive effects of improving air quality on health; the strong relation between a healthy natural environment and good mental health; and the need to prioritize biodiversity and water under the planetary health discussion. Others highlighted the primacy of political will among drivers for change. They also discussed the vulnerability of hospitals to climate change and if climate change vulnerability is analyzed by donor countries and development agencies before deciding about funding allocations. Report Presentation Josh Goldstein, Bridge Collaborative Director, The Nature Conservancy, presented the report “Bigger Change Faster: Integrated Development, Health, and Environment Actions for a Sustainable Future.” The report calls for greater integrated action to address three planetary health challenges: accelerating a low carbon, clean air, and environmentally friendly energy future for all; transforming the global food system for health and sustainability; and expanding sanitation and wastewater treatment to benefit people and nature. He announced the launch of the Bridge Spark Fund, a competition open now to advance solutions to these planetary health challenges. Nandita Murukutla, Vice President, Global Policy and Research, Vital Strategies, presented a preview of the report “Fueling an Unhealthy Future: How propping up unhealthy industries will sicken millions and cost trillions,” which explores government incentives for a wide array of industries that are the main drivers of NCDs. Noting that up to 50% of global government expenditure on health is spent to tackle the health effects of air pollution, she called for fiscal policies that can act as behavior regulators. Interview In an interview with Frumkin, Poorvabrabha Patil, Vice President, Medical Students Association of India, noted the very visible effects of deteriorating planetary health on the reduction of the age when NCDs are triggered in India. She highlighted that anyone who borrows a place to live and breathe from the planet should become a climate activist. She emphasized that if we do not advert the climate crisis, malaria and other diseases caused by infectious agents will rapidly spread across the entire world, because due to climate change “we make earth less habitable for us and more habitable for infectious agents.” Providing concluding remarks, Frumkin said participants inter alia highlighted the importance of cost-benefit analyses to drive actions and inform policies on climate change and health, subsidies and fiscal policies, and institutional reform to facilitate cross-sectoral approaches. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Todd Harper, CEO, Cancer Council Victoria, and President of the Board, NCD Alliance Howard Frumkin, Our Planet, Our Health Programme, Wellcome Trust L-R: Tommy Remengesau Jr., President of Palau; Peter Eriksson, Minister of International Cooperation and Foreign Aid, Sweden; Agnés Soucat, World Health Organization (WHO); Tarek Ezzine, International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA); Mandeep Dhaliwal, UN Development Programme (UNDP); Josh Karliner, Health Care Without Harm; and Lourdes Sanchez, IISD Tommy Remengesau Jr., President of Palau Peter Eriksson, Minister of International Cooperation and Foreign Aid, Sweden Tarek Ezzine, International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations Agnés Soucat, WHO Lourdes Sanchez, IISD Josh Karliner, Health Care Without Harm Mandeep Dhaliwal, UNDP Dean Schraufnagel, Executive Director, Forum of International Respiratory Societies Leo Hoponoa, Tonga Mental Health and Disability Association Johanna Ralston, CEO, World Obesity Federation Sudhvir Singh, EAT Foundation Josh Goldstein, Bridge Collaborative, and the Nature Conservancy Nandital Mrukutla, Vital Strategies Howard Frumkin, Our Planet, Our Health Programme, Wellcome Trust, and Poorvabrapha Patil, Medical Students’ Association, India CONTACT Priya Kanayson | pkanayson@ncdalliance.org MORE INFORMATION https://ncdalliance.org/

Highlights for Tuesday, 14 May 2019 The 4th annual STI Forum opened on Tuesday, 14 May 2019 Opening the Fourth Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology, and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum), Inga Rhonda King, President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), called attention to how science, technology and innovation (STI) is helping the world address global challenges. She also highlighted that these technological changes are still not deep or fast enough to fully respond to these challenges.Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, relayed a number of accomplishments of the Technology Facilitation Mechanism (TFM), such as the release of the “Guidebook for the Preparation of STI for SDGs Roadmaps,” and the development of a prototype of the online platform to help connect providers of technology solutions to those who seek them.Keynote presentations by Romain Murenzi, Executive Director, The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), and Claudette McGowan, Chief Information Officer, Bank of Montreal, Canada, covered the “haves” and the “have-nots,” stressing that technology can be a force for good but has also resulted in severe disparities around the globe. Both speakers highlighted the importance of education, calling for initiatives that bridge gaps in technology and science.A ministerial segment featured country statements focused on strengthening capacity and policy for the development of STI roadmaps.Throughout the day, panels addressed the following topics, each with a discussion incorporating input and questions from various stakeholders, including intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, and country representatives: Emerging technology clusters and the impact of rapid technological change on the SDGs; STI for education and decent work for the future (Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4 and 8); and Gender and STI for SDGs. The launch of an exhibition featuring innovative technology solutions for the SDGs took place during lunch, featuring the winning submissions from the call for innovations that support implementation of the SDGs. Solutions on display related to, inter alia, cookstoves, new pedagogical tools, redirection and prevention of waste, and protection of indigenous resources. The first day of the Forum included the launch of another exhibition on gender and STI, featuring prominent woman scientists from around the world and their contributions. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily web updates from the STI Forum 2019. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has publish a briefing note, which is available in HTML and PDF. Welcome Address and Opening: Appreciating the Cross-cutting Nature of STI Liu Zhenmin, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Inga Rhonda King, UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) President Claudette McGowan, Chief Information Officer, Bank of Montreal, Canada Romain Murenzi, Executive Director, The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) L-R: Liu Zhenmin, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs; Elizabeth Thompson, STI Forum Co-Chair; Marie Chatardová, STI Forum Co-Chair; Inga Rhonda King, ECOSOC President; Secretary; Claudette McGowan, Chief Information Officer, Bank of Montreal, Canada; and Romain Murenzi, Executive Director, TWAS Session 1: Emerging Technology Clusters and the Impact of Rapid Technological Change on the SDGs Abby Shapiro, Senior Vice President, US Council for International Business (USCIB) Amir Dossal, President, Global Partnerships Forum Session 2: Ministerial Segment – Strengthening Capacity and Policy for the Development of STI Roadmaps Elizabeth Thompson, STI Forum Co-Chair Amb. Feda Abdelhady-Nasser, Deputy Permanent Observer, Palestine, for the G-77/China Motoko Kotani, Executive Member, Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (CSTI), Prime Minister Cabinet Office, Japan Adrián Bonilla, Secretary of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ecuador Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hungary Session 3: STI for Education and Decent Work for the Future (SDG 4 and SDG 8) Antonin Fejfar, Czech Academy of Science Kate Radford, The Netherlands, pitches her innovation submission ‘Can’t Wait to Learn’ Moderator Anne-Christine Ritschkoff, Senior Advisor, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. (and 10-Member Group), and Chaesub Lee, Director, Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, International Telecommunication Union (ITU) L-R: Myung Ja Kim, President of the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies; Stefan Schnorr, Directorate-General, Digital and Innovation Policy, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Germany; and Marie Chatardová, STI Forum Co-Chair Session 4: Gender and STI for SDGs James Heintz, Andrew Glyn Professor of Economics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, US Moderator Špela Stres, Head of Innovation and Technology Transfer Center, Jožef Stefan Institute, Slovenia (and 10-Member Group) Alice Abreu, Professor Emerita, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Member of Gender Advisory Board, Brazil Aliza Inbal, Director, Pears Program for Global Innovation, Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research, Israel Special Event 1: Launch of Exhibition of Innovative Technology Solutions for the SDGs Inga Rhonda King, ECOSOC President, opening the Exhibition Participants during the exhibition Launch of the Exhibition on Gender and STI Elizabeth Thompson, STI Forum Co-Chair, opens the Exhibition Around the Venue Women, who attended the Forum in record numbers, gather for a photo

Highlights for Wednesday, 15 May 2019 L-R: Elizabeth Thompson, STI Forum Co-Chair; Inga Rhonda King, ECOSOC President; and Marie Chatardová, STI Forum Co-Chair The second and final day of the Fourth Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum) opened with a video message from A Min Tjoa, Chair of the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD). He briefed the audience on the CSTD’s concurrent work in Geneva, Switzerland, at its 22nd session, noting that participants were highlighting the need to steer technological changes in ways that support inclusiveness and are consistent with the values and principles of the UN.Two panels convened that focused on specific stakeholders’ involvement in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): youth and indigenous peoples. A key message emerging from both discussions was the need to move beyond hearing and activating the voices of youth and indigenous peoples to implementing their ideas and making them decision-makers.Other panels focused on specific SDGs and STI, namely SDG 13 (climate action), SDG 10 (reducing inequalities), and SDG 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions). On climate, participants underscored the synergies and tradeoffs that exist between climate mitigation options and other SDGs. On inclusive and equitable societies, panelists underscored the importance of collaboration – in research, technology development, and decision-making – to bridge divides and leave no one behind.During the lunch break, a roundtable on STI roadmaps for the SDGs discussed technical aspects of the proposed global pilot programme that will build capacity for creating these roadmaps at the national level.The day concluded with a session on the way forward for the Technology Facilitation Mechanism (TFM), with calls for stronger science-business connection to drive implementation, collaboration between the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and the TFM, and making the STI Forum a culmination of intersessional work.UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) President Inga Rhonda King declared the Forum closed at 6:00 pm. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily web updates from the STI Forum 2019. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has publish a briefing note, which is available in HTML and PDF. Session 5: A Brighter Future – Youth, Innovation Ecosystems, and Development L-R: Tia Hodges, Senior Program Officer, Citi Foundation; Amollo Ambole, Policy Fellow, Africa Climate Change Leadership Program (AfriCLP), University of Nairobi, Kenya; Khalisah Zulkefli, Biochemist, University of Melbourne, Australia; Elizabeth Thompson, STI Forum Co-Chair; Secretary; and Moderator Heide Hackmann, CEO, International Science Council (and 10-Member Group) Fakhira Najib, Pakistan, presents ‘Broad Class - Listen to Learn’. Anne K Rweyora, Uganda, pitches her innovation, ‘A roof, A skill and A market for Women’. Prince Agbata, Ghana, speaks about his innovation, Coliba Recycling Elizabeth Thompson, STI Forum Co-Chair Khalisah Zulkefli, Biochemist, University of Melbourne, Australia Moderator Heide Hackmann, CEO, International Science Council (and 10-Member Group) Amollo Ambole, AfriCLP, University of Nairobi, Kenya Tia Hodges, Senior Program Officer, Citi Foundation Panelists pose for a picture Session 6: STI for Inclusive and Equitable Societies (SDG 10 and SDG 16) L-R: Elizabeth Thompson, STI Forum Co-Chair; Elizabeth Lockwood, Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities; Bonian Golmohammadi, Secretary-General, 16+ Forum, Sweden; Mahmoud Mohieldin, Senior Vice President for the 2030 Development Agenda, World Bank; Marie Chatardová, STI Forum Co-Chair; Secretary; Moderator Huadong Guo, Chairman of Academic Committee, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences (and 10-Member Group); and Wilbert Muruke, on behalf of Khadija Malima, Chief Research Officer, Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology Elizabeth Lockwood, Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities Marie Chatardová, STI Forum Co-Chair Funkola Odeleye, Nigeria, describes her innovation submission, DIYlaw. Nina Tushev, US, speaks about using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to map, monitor and protect indigenous territories. Wilbert Muruke, on behalf of Khadija Malima, Chief Research Officer, Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology Moderator Huadong Guo, Chairman of Academic Committee, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences (and 10-Member Group) Mahmoud Mohieldin, Senior Vice President for the 2030 Development Agenda, World Bank Bonian Golmohammadi, Secretary-General, 16+ Forum, Sweden Special Event 2: Roundtable on STI Roadmaps for SDGs - The Technical Perspective L-R: Kenji Suzuki, Senior General Manager, African Division, Toyota Tsusho, Japan; Paulo Correa, Manager, Firm Capability and Innovation Global Unit of the Finance, Competitiveness and Innovation Global Practice, World Bank; and Dirk Fransaer, Director General, VITO, Belgium Moderator Michiharu Nakamura, Counselor to the President and Advisor for Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency (and 10-Member Group), and Motoko Kotani, Executive Member, Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (CSTI), Prime Minister Cabinet Office, Japan Roundtable participants Session 7: STI for Taking Action to Combat Climate Change and its Impacts (SDG 13) Matthew Goldberg, US, pitches BioLite HomeStove. Padmanaban Anantha Gopalan, India, calls for No Food Waste. Mikiko Kainuma, Senior Research Advisor, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Japan Moderator Agnes Lawrence Kijazi, Director General, Tanzania Meteorological Agency (and 10-Member Group Co-Chair) Seth Schultz, Special Advisor to Global Covenant of Mayors on Science & Innovation, and Founder/CEO, Urban Breakthroughs, New York, US Signe Ratso, Deputy Director General, Directorate-General Research and Innovation (DG RTD), European Commission Innovators gather for a photo. L-R: Padmanaban Anantha Gopalan, No Food Waste, India; Christina Dahl Jensen, It’s our forest too, Denmark; and Matthew Goldberg, BioLite HomeStove, US Session 8: Linking STI of Indigenous Peoples, Culture and Traditional Knowledge, and the Achievement of the SDGs Minnie Degawan, Director of Indigenous and Traditional Peoples Program, Conservation International Chandra Roy-Henriksen, Chief, Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues Freddy Mamani, Aymara architect, Bolivia Moderator José Ramón López-Portillo Romano, Chairman, Q Element Ltd., Mexico (and 10-Member Group) Session 9: Supporting the Implementation of the TFM – The Way Forward for Joint Action L-R: Lynn St. Amour, Chair, Multi-stakeholder Advisory Group to the Internet Governance Forum (IGF); Macharia Kamau, Principal Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kenya; Elizabeth Thompson, STI Forum Co-Chair; Marie Chatardová, STI Forum Co-Chair; Secretary; Vaughan Turekian, Executive Director, Policy and Global Affairs, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, US (and 10-Member Group Co-Chair); and Joshua Phoho Setipa, Managing Director, Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Lynn St. Amour, Chair, Multi-stakeholder Advisory Group to the IGF Joshua Phoho Setipa, Managing Director, Technology Bank for LDCs Macharia Kamau, Principal Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kenya Vaughan Turekian, Executive Director, Policy and Global Affairs, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, US (and 10-Member Group Co-Chair) Closing Remarks ECOSOC President Inga Rhonda King delivers closing remarks L-R: Elizabeth Thompson, STI Forum Co-Chair; Marie Chatardová, STI Forum Co-Chair; and Inga Rhonda King, ECOSOC President Around the Venue

Highlights for Monday, 27 May 2019 View of the GSW 2019 plenary with Co-Facilitator Alexander Müller, Managing Director, Töpfer, Müller, Gaßner - Think Tank for Sustainability (TMG Research) delivering his opening address Global Soil Week 2019 (GSW 2019) opened on Monday morning, 27 May, with the two-day technical segment of the conference. During the opening plenary, Co-Facilitators Alice Kaudia, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Eco-Entrepreneurs Ltd., and Alexander Alexander Müller, Töpfer, Müller, Gaßner — Think Tank for Sustainability (TMG Research), welcomed representatives from government, science, NGOs, and international organizations, as well as farmers, and introduced the conference theme, ‘Creating an Enabling Environment for Sustainable and Climate Resilient Agriculture in Africa.’ Explaining the rationale for the conference, Müller observed that four years after the adoption of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the world is still not on track to achieve these ambitious global targets. He noted that discussions at GSW 2019 would seek to explore the “missing middle” that is critical for delivering the Global Goals, including access to finance and legislative and governance frameworks that ensure secure access to land, productive resources and decision making processes, especially for women and other marginalized actors at the local level.Participants then convened in five working groups for the rest of the day to discuss experiences from more than 20 local projects in Africa and Asia. The discussions took an in-depth look at some of the factors that support or hinder the creation of an enabling environment for sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture Some of the broad themes addressed in the presentations included: •    Good practices to empower women’s participation in sustainable land management and decision-making; •    Innovative approaches to secure smallholder farmers' access to land, finance and other agricultural inputs; •    Business models to strengthen financial and market inclusion for smallholder farmers and pastoralists; •    Opportunities to strengthen participatory governance systems for sustainable soil management and ecosystem restoration; •    Mechanisms for bridging macro- and micro-level land governance structures; and •    How to ensure sustainability of promising local initiatives. Funding for IISD Reporting Services coverage of GSW 2019 has been provided by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage from GSW 2019. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a summary report from the meeting, which 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 Peter Murunga, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) Serah Kiragu-Wissler, TMG Research Co-Facilitator Alice Kaudia, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Eco-Entrepreneurs Ltd. Co-Facilitator Alexander Müller, Managing Director, TMG Research Participants watching a video presentation by TMG and GRAF Jes Weigelt, TMG Research Saydou Koudougou, GRAF Co-Facilitators Alexander Müller, Managing Director, TMG Research, and Alice Kaudia, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Eco-Entrepreneurs Ltd. going over the agenda for the day Analysis of Cases - Parallel Implementers' Workshops David Kersting, Co-Moderator, GIZ (right) L-R: David Kersting, Co-Moderator, GIZ, with Zacharie Segda, Minister of Agriculture, Burkina Faso Paul Okongo, Kenyan Farmer Rhoda Birech, Limbua Foundation Violet Shivutse, Shibuye Community Health Workers Co-moderator Sonja Scheele, TMG Research Co-moderator Alexander Erlewein, GIZ Workshop session from the Cocoa room Jony Girma, Apis Agribusiness Ann-Kathrin Neureuther, Rare Carolyne Musee, Vi Agroforestry Amos Wekesa, Vi Agroforestry Walter Engelberg, GIZ Leigh Ann Winowiecki, ICRAF L-R: Samie Blasingame, TMG Research, with Zwide Jere, Total Land Care, Malawi L-R: Marai El Fassi, TMG Research, with Joseph Letunyoi, Laikipia Permaculture Centre

Highlights for Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Group discussions from the dimension workshop on Land Governance On the second day of Global Soil Week (GSW) 2019 - and final day of the technical segment - discussions focused on synthesizing insights from more than 20 country case studies discussed on the previous day. Gathering in four parallel “Dimension Workshops,” participants identified broader lessons and strategies for achieving an enabling environment for sustainable and climate resilient agriculture, clustered around the thematic strands: land governance; extension and advisory services; local governance and cooperation models; and finance and markets. In the workshop on land governance, participants underscored that guaranteeing women’s access to and ownership of land and other productive resources is a critical “enabler” for sustainable land management. The group further noted that securing land tenure rights not only requires building advocacy movements on land rights from the ground up, but also following through to ensure that gains are formalized into legislative frameworks and subsequently enforced. Among numerous lessons highlighted in the workshop on extension and advisory services, participants emphasized the need to “localize” the delivery of extension services, for example through the active involvement of farmer-to-farmer knowledge sharing, research, and innovation. Discussing strategies for upscaling promising approaches, they stressed the need to integrate extension systems into national and sub-national development plans, with a dedicated budget to facilitate implementation. The discussions on local governance identified various strategies for strengthening inclusive governance structures, including through: pooling of resources by communities via collective funds; exploring alternative governance structures to involve civil society organizations and other stakeholders; and providing space for local innovators. During the session on finance and markets, participants outlined diverse strategies for fostering access to sustainable finance, including through collaborative mechanisms such as farmers’ cooperatives and communal models for benefit sharing. On markets, the group noted the importance of developing sustainable value chains and nurturing niche markets that favor sustainably produced agricultural products. During a wrap up plenary session, GSW 2019 Co-Facilitator Alexander Müller, Töpfer, Müller, Gaßner — Think Tank for Sustainability (TMG Research) remarked that "projects never fail but projects never scale.” He noted that by exploring an enabling environment for responsible land governance, the conference is digging deeper into how to “do projects differently” so as to bridge the huge gap that exists between the Sustainable Development Goals and action on the ground. Closing the technical segment, Alice Kaudia remarked that the two days of discussions had generated important knowledge and take-home messages. She encouraged the leaders arriving for the High-Level Segment to pick up on these insights and apply them by creating an enabling environment in their countries. Funding for IISD Reporting Services coverage of GSW 2019 has been provided by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage from GSW 2019. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a summary report from the meeting, which 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 Co-Facilitator Alice Kaudia, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Eco-Entrepreneurs Ltd. Luwayo Biswick, Permaculture Paradise Institute Paul Okongo, a farmer from Kenya Janardhan Pawar, Watershed Organisation Trust Bird's eye view of the GSW 2019 plenary L-R: Flora Ajwera, GIZ; John Agboola, Young Professionals for Agricultural Development, Nigeria; Anneke Trux, GIZ; and Anna Kramer, TMG Research Flora Ajwera, GIZ John Agboola, Young Professionals for Agricultural Development, Nigeria GSW 2019 Co-Facilitator Alexander Müller Anna Kramer, TMG Research Co-Facilitator Müller explains the structure of the thematic discussions. Dimension Workshops Finance and Markets Olivia Riemer, TMG Research and Alexander Erlewein, GIZ, discussion group moderators for the workshop on finance and markets Maximiliano Cortes Sotomayor, TMG Research, discussion group moderator Extension Services Boniface Kiteme, Centre for Training and Integrated Research in ASAL Development (CETRAD), (far right) moderated the workshop on extension services Navin Vivek Horo, GIZ Gustave Dieudonné Dagbenonbakin, National Institute of Agricultural Research, Benin Local Governance and Cooperation Models Bruno St-Jacques, TMG Research, moderator for the workshop on local governance and cooperation models Lova Darsot, Madagascar Ibrahima Coulibaly, Reseau des organisations paysannes et des producteurs agricole, Mali Julien Noël Rakotoarisoa, Madagascar Joary Niaina Andriamiharimanana, Madagascar Land Governance Participants discussing elements of enabling environments at the workshop on land governance Jael Omunyang'oli, CETRAD Mieke Bourne, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) Larissa Stiem-Bhatia, TMG Research, and Seydou Koudougou, Groupe de recherche et d'action sur le foncier (GRAF) Closing of the Technical Segment Participants took a break from discussions to engage in a an "energizer" dance L-R: Rhoda Birech, Limbua Foundation; Maria El Fassi, TMG Research; and Shri E. Srinivas, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, India Co-Facilitator Müller, delivering his closing remarks Jes Weigelt, TMG Research Co-Facilitator Kaudia, closed the meeting GSW 2019 technical segment participants

Highlights for Wednesday, 29 May 2019 Participants from GSW 2019 High-Level Segment in an "energizer" exercise The High-Level Segment of Global Soil Week (GSW) 2019 opened on Wednesday morning. In her welcome remarks, Co-Facilitator Alice Kaudia remarked that “Africa’s soils are crumbling” and urged participants to accelerate sustainable land management (SLM) initiatives by drawing on opportunities highlighted during the technical segment of the conference. Explaining the evolution of the GSW, Co-Facilitator Alexander Müller, proposed framing discussions around three “simple” questions: Why talk about soils? Where is the action? and What do we have to do to address the situation? Noting the paradox of rising hunger in some parts of the world while one-third of agricultural land globally “is used to produce food waste,” he stressed that achieving multiple benefits for every dollar invested for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will require integrated actions at the local level that link land restoration to food security, gender equality, climate resilience, sustainable livelihoods and other targets. In his welcome remarks, Tony Simons, Director-General, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), reiterated the economic and social value of soils, citing data which shows that the world loses 36 tons of soil each year due to erosion, equivalent to five times of Kenya’s GDP. He invited participants to recognize the urgency of land degradation while not losing sight of actions that are delivering positive impacts to both environment and livelihoods. Ministers and high-level officials from Benin, Burkina Faso, Madagascar, Ethiopia, Kenya and Germany made opening statements. Lucy Njenga, speaking on behalf of Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation, called on participants to use this forum to share experience in order to galvanize action at the local level that is in line with global commitments, moving into an inclusive and sustainable transformation. She then declared the High-Level Segment officially open.Representing “voices from the ground,” several participants shared some takeaway messages from the first two days of the conference, including the importance of: focusing on women’s empowerment as managers of land and natural resources; providing farmer-friendly extension services; and making agriculture “cooler” in order to attract youth.In the afternoon, participants met in four parallel peer-review workshops to examine conclusions and recommendations developed during the technical segment of the conference. Issues highlighted included: capacity building of local institutions and SLM champions; involvement of stakeholders at all levels to mainstream SLM practices into policies and programmes; and the inclusion of SLM in local development plans to improve decentralized extension services. The discussions also made recommendations on concrete actions that can be implemented at different levels, such as: identifying key actors to deliver awareness raising programmes; creating multi-stakeholder platforms to facilitate meaningful consultations between communities, legal entities and other governance institutions; and building the capacity of local organizations to undertake evidence-based research to inform higher-level policy making.Concurrent to the workshops, representatives of the partner governments and other stakeholders met to review a draft text containing conclusions by the GSW 2019 Co-Hosts. Funding for IISD Reporting Services coverage of GSW 2019 has been provided by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage from GSW 2019. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a summary report from the meeting, which 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 View of the GSW High-Level Segment plenary being entertained by Slum Drummers, Kenya Co-Facilitator Alice Kaudia, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Eco-Entrepreneurs Ltd. Co-Facilitator Alexander Müller, Managing Director, Töpfer, Müller, Gaßner - Think Tank for Sustainability (TMG Research) Tony Simons, Director-General, World Agroferestry Centre (ICRAF) Lucy Njenga, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation, Kenya L-R: Rabeharivololona Ony Malalaniaina, Director-General, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, Madagascar; Etefa Diba Areri, Ministry of Agriculture, Ethiopia; Zacharie Segda, Ministry of Agriculture, Burkina Faso; and Jeanne Josette Acacha Akoha, Ministry of Life Framework and Sustainable Development, Benin L-R: Gobi Gaston Yorou, Mayor, N'Dali, Benin, and Mélanie Djédjé, GIZ Daniel Alker, German Embassy to Kenya Heiko Warnken, BMZ Slum Drummers, musicians from Kenya, performing during the GSW 2019 High-Level Segment Jemimah Ikalakala M'Mayi, Farmer from Kenya Dorcas Abimbola Omole, Youth Event, Nigeria Doreen Magotsi, Shibuye Community Health Workers, Kenya Peer-Review Workshops Alemu Girum, TMG Research, presenting the clusters for the extension services peer-review workshop V. Usha Rani, Ministry of Agriculture, India Samson Eshetu Lemma, Ethiopia L-R: Margaret Ngigi, Egerton University, Kenya; Ismail Moumouni Moussa, Univerity of Parakou, Benin; and Jeffreyson Kwashi Mutimba, Sasakawa African Fund for Extension Education, Zimbabwe Participants discussing cluster elements on land governance Johns Muleso Kharika, UN Convention to Combat Desertification Fatoumata Tall, Groupe de recherche et d'action sur le foncier (GRAF) MacKay Rigava, UN Food and Agriculture Organization Hubert Ouédraogo, Burkina Faso L-R: Sonja Scheele, Larissa Stiem-Bhatia, and Anna Kramer, TMG Research