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  Highlights for Friday, 18 January 2019 Delegates conferring during a break During the last day of the first substantive session of the Ad hoc Open-Ended Working Group (AHWG), discussion focused on the agenda for the second substantive session. The Co-Chairs presented a revised agenda, including the agenda item “discussion of possible options to address possible gaps in international environmental law (IEL) and environment-related instruments.” A proposal to split this agenda item into two parts, i.e. discussion of possible gaps followed by discussion of possible options, did not reach consensus. As a compromise, delegates agreed to add the words “as appropriate” to the end of the agenda item, and to reflect the split in the annotations to the agenda. Delegates agreed that the second substantive session will be held from 18-20 March 2019. Discussion also focused on the inter-sessional process ahead, with several delegations supporting the creation of a synthesis report of submissions. The Co-Chairs reiterated their request for inputs to be submitted by 20 February 2019. In the afternoon, the Co-Chairs presented an oral summary of the week’s discussions. They noted the session’s constructive, open and transparent and inclusive discussion, with agreement that the work should not undermine existing instruments, bodies and processes; and how some delegations underlined the importance of conducting work on a consensus basis with a view to a pragmatic outcome. In closing remarks the Co-Chairs thanked delegates and all participants. Co-Chair Francisco António Duarte Lopes, closed the meeting at 4:01 pm. Please return to this site on 21 January for the Earth Negotiations Bulletin summary and analysis of the first substantive session of the Ad hoc Open-Ended Working Group IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, povided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from the 1st Substantive Session of the Ad Hoc Open Ended Working Group Towards a Global Pact for the Environment. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. View of the dais during the morning session Lori Dando, US Co-Chair Francisco António Duarte Lopes, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Portugal, gaveling the meeting to a close. Abdu al-Sharif, Saudi Arabia Martin Gronda, Argentina Nassira Rheyati, Morocco Amal Mudallali, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Lebanon, and Jamil Ahmad, UN Environment (UNEP) Ado Lohmus, Estonia, and Carl Daniel, US   From L-R: Carl Daniel, US; Luciano Donadio Linares, Argentina; and Martin Gronda, Argentina Wael Aboulmagd, Egypt, and Abdullah Tawlah, Saudi Arabia Delegates conferring during a break. Victoria Sulimani, Sierra Leone Haibo Gou, China Sebastian König, Switzerland Marcelo Cousillas, Uruguay Peter Pitrez, Portugal, and Marek Rohr-Garztecki, Poland Atsushi Iwasaki, Japan Melissa Cotterill, Australia Delegates from Equatorial Guinea and Ethiopia Mariline Diara, Senegal Yacouba Savadogo, Burkina Faso Kevin Khng, Singapore Samuel Victor Makwe, Nigeria Around the venue  

Highlights for Monday, 18 March 2019 The second substantive session of the Ad hoc Open-ended Working Group (OEWG) established pursuant to UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution 72/277 was opened on Monday morning by Co-Chairs Amal Mudallali, Lebanon, and Francisco António Duarte Lopes, Portugal, who called for a results-oriented discussion on possible options to address possible gaps in international environmental law. Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director, United Nations Environment (UNEP), welcomed delegations and invited them to observe a moment of silence for those lost in the Ethopian Airlines disaster and in the Christchurch mosque shooting in New Zealand. Msuya recalled the OEWG mandate and plans for just one more substantive meeting before the process reports to the UNGA. She called for meaningful and substantive deliberation and a consensus-based recommendation to the UNGA. After a general discussion, delegations broke into an informal session and began to respond to guiding questions posed by the Co-Chairs. The questions focused on options that can be considered to address gaps or challenges related to principles of IEL, and the objectives of such options, and respective methodologies; and issues related to governance, coordination and the risks of incoherence.Delegations discussed, inter alia: The OEWG’s mandate from UNGA; The preparedness of the OEWG to move on from a discussion of gaps to options; The utility and possible design of a binding or non-binding legal instrument; The nature of gaps in IEL and possible responses, including methodologies; Existing, emerging and new principles for consideration with regard to IEL; Approaches to strengthened coordination of and synergies among multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) and the role of institutions such as UNEP and the UN Environment Assembly; and The importance of an inclusive process that takes into account the principle of participation by indigenous peoples and local communities IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from the 2nd Substantive Session of the Ad Hoc Open Ended Working Group Towards a Global Pact for the Environment. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. A moment of silence in memory of the people lost after the Ethiopian Airlines 302 crash and the terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand. Fernando Coimbra, Brazil, and Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director, UNEP Fernando Coimbra, Brazil, with Co-Chair Francisco António Duarte Lopes, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Portugal Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director, UNEP Dmitry Maksimychev, Russian Federation Wael Aboulmagd, Egypt Co-Chair Amal Mudallali, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Lebanon, and Jamil Ahmad, UNEP Elizabeth Mrema, Director of the Law Division, UNEP Djerang Saglar, Chad Fernando Coimbra, Brazil Jin Sun, China Vigen Ananyan, Armenia From L-R: André Costa Lapeira, Portugal; Peter Pitrez, Portugal; Michał Łyszczarz, Poland; and Marek Rohr-Garztecki, Poland Stadler Trengove, UN Legal Officer, with Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director, UNEP Camila Zepeda Lizama, Mexico Co-Chair Francisco António Duarte Lopes, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Portugal Co-Chair Amal Mudallali, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Lebanon Madina Ganou Diaby Kassamba, Burkina Faso Aldo Claure Banegas, Bolivia Abdullah Tawlah, Saudi Arabia Delegates conferring during lunch break Marcelo José Cousillas, Uruguay Co-Chair Amal Mudallali, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Lebanon, and Alexis Lamek, France Alejandro Montero, Chile Raoul Renard, International Chamber of Commerce Meles Alem, Ethiopia Around the Venue